KPOPPED!:
UNDERSTANDING THE FILIPINO TEENS’
CONSUMPTION OF KOREAN POPULAR
MUSIC AND VIDEOS
SARAH KRISTINE M. ALANZALON
Submitted to the
COLLEGE OF MASS COMMUNICATION
University of the Philippines Diliman
In partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
April 2011
ii
KPOPPED!: UNDERSTANDING THE FILIPINO TEENS’ CONSUMPTION OF KOREAN POPULAR MUSIC AND VIDEOS
by
SARAH KRISTINE M. ALANZALON
has been approved for the Department of Broadcast Communication and the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication by
Professor Perlita G. Manalili, Ph.D
Professor Rolando B. Tolentino, Ph.D. Dean, College of Mass Communication
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BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
PERSONAL DATA
Name Sarah Kristine M. Alanzalon
Permanent Address 27 Saint Theresa Street, Maricaban, Malibay, Pasay City Metro Manila
Telephone Number (+632) 854-9436
Email Address [email protected]
Date & Place of Birth 25 April 1991, Pasay City
EDUCATION
Secondary Level First Honorable Mention, Malate Catholic School, Malate, Manila
Primary Level Malate Catholic School, Malate, Manila
WORK EXPERIENCE Intern, DZUP 16021, April 2010 – June 2010
Intern, GMA Network, Entertainment Television, July 2010 – September 2010
ACHIEVEMENTS University Scholar: 1st Semester AY 2007-2008 to 2nd Semester AY 2008-2009
College Scholar: 1st Semester AY 2009-2010 to 1st Semester AY 2010-2011
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Mom and Dad, thank you both for giving us a family so open and loving that all of us girls (and hopefully James too) are proud to have parents like you. Ate Agnes and Jed, I always pray that we’ll be together, even in the next chapters of our lives. James, you brought us so much happiness, and for that, I love you.
Nanay, Tatay, Mommy, Daddy and Family. Because of all of you, I would want to live nowhere else but in Pasay.
Jem, Nessa, Plinky, and Jea, I hope we become friends forever, through thick and thin. Camille, Charm and Chi, I had no real friends in UP, until you came. Because of you guys, UP life became bearable and fun.
My favorite girl MG, my favorite partner Gen, my favorite director Jopet, my first friends JT and Janine, my frenemy Ryan, my Kpop buds Kem, Ana, Dove, and Karen, also
Bianca, Rox, Dane, Mel, Micah, and every single classmate I’ve had, you touched my life somehow and I hope I touched yours too.
Sir Reev Robledo and Sir Bryan Tibayan, thank you for making me realize my strengths and limits. Ma’am Maeanne Los Banos, thank you for instilling in me the value of fortitude. Ma’am Almond Aguila, thank you for teaching me proper thesis writing. Ma’am
Melba Estonilo, thank you for teaching me the values of precision and discipline. Ma’am
Pearl Manalili, thank you for your guidance and patience.
Most especially, Lord God. You gave me a life that’s so blessed with a happy family and supportive friends. I will always strive hard to be a person truly deserving of all these blessings. Thank you, and most of all, I love you.
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Dedication
To the One above, my only Lord.
To Mama and Dad, my pillar and strength.
To Ate Agnes and Jed, my friends and confidant.
To Jimmybee, my life’s happiness.
To all Kpop fans, this one’s for you.
To Big Bang, the one who inspired all these.
And to you, who’s actually reading
this two-year endeavor.
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ABSTRACT
Alanzalon, S.M. (2011). Kpopped! Understanding the Filipino Teens’ Consumption of
Korean Popular Music and Videos, Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the
Philippines College of Mass Communication.
This thesis looked into the popularity of Korean popular (Kpop) music among the
Filipino teens aged 15-19 years. The study used the combined assumptions of Straubhaar’s
Cultural Proximity Theory, Ball-Rokeach and De Fleur’s Media Dependency Theory, and
Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications Theory. The researcher conducted both
traditional and online surveys among 270 Filipino teenage Kpop fans, and focus interviews to
six (6) Filipino fans of the Korean groups Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, Shinee, SS501
and U-Kiss. The researcher determined the variables of consumption of Kpop content,
cultural offerings present in Kpop content, and needs of the fans satisfied by Kpop content.
The study found out that Filipino teens are highly exposed to Korean popular music, and
consumed these media texts everyday by utilizing various media, most specifically the
Internet. The Filipino fans are also attracted to the cultural offerings of Kpop content,
especially the visual elements including the physical appearance of the artists (face, fashion,
hairstyle) and visual aspects of the music videos (choreography, sets). It was found that
consuming Kpop content gratified the entertainment need of the fans through its appealing
visual elements and high-quality content (songs, choreography, and talented artists).
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ABSTRAK
Alanzalon, S.M. (2011). Kpopped! Pag-aaral ng Pagkonsumo ng Kabataang Pilipino sa
Popular na Musika at Bidyong Koryano, Tesis, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Kolehiyo ng
Pangmadlang Komunikasyon,
Ang tesis na ito ay sumuri sa kasikatan at kalaganapan ng popular na Koryanong
(Kpop) mga awitin at bidyo sa mga tinedyer na Pilipino edad 15-19 taon. Sa pag-aaral ng kaganapang ito, ginamit ang pinagsamang asumpsyon ng mga teoryang Cultural Proximity ni
Straubhaar, Media Dependency nina Ball-Rokeach at De Fleur, at Uses and Gratifications nina Blumler at Katz. Nagsagawa ang mananaliksik ng tradisyonal at online na sarbey sa 270 na kabataang Pilipino, at anim na pokus na panayam sa mga tagahanga ng mga sumusunod na grupong Koryano: Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, Shinee, SS501, at U-Kiss. Sinuri ng mananaliksik ang mga konsepto ng pagkonsumo, elementong kultural, at pangangailangan ng kabataang Pilipino. Natuklasan ng saliksik na mataas ang pagkakalantad ng mga kabataang Pilipino sa Kpop, at ginamit nila ang iba’t-ibang midya sa pagkonsumo, lalo na ang Internet. Nagustuhan nila ang Kpop dahil sa mga elementong kultural, higit lalo ang mga biswal na aspeto tulad ng panlabas na kaanyuan ng mga Koryanong artista (mukha, porma, ayos ng buhok) at ang kalidad ng mga music video (koryograpiya, set). Ang pagkonsumo ng
Kpop ay nakatulong sa gratipikasyon ng kasiyahan at katuwaan ng mga kabataan dahil sa mga kahali-halinang biswal na elemento at mga dekalidad na produkto (awitin, sayaw, artistang may talento).
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Title Page 1 INTRODUCTION 1 Background of the Study 1 Statement of the Problem 3 Objectives of the Study 3 Significance of the Study 4 Scope of the Study 6 Definition of Terms 7
2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 9 Media Consumption and Fan Subculture 9 The Filipino Fans 12 Foreign Media Content and the Filipino Audience 14 The Korean Wave 18 Integration of Related Literature 20 Research Gap: Korean Popular Music as the new Korean Wave in 21 the Philippines
3 STUDY FRAMEWORK 23 Theoretical Framework 23 Cultural Proximity Theory 23 Media Dependency Theory 25 Uses and Gratifications Theory 26 Integrated Theoretical Framework 28 Conceptual Framework 28 Operational Framework 29
4 METHODS AND PROCEDURES 32 Research Design and Methods 32 Concepts and Indicators 34 Research Instruments 35 Units of Analysis 36 Data Gathering 36 Data Analysis 37 Expenses 38
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Title Page 5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 39 Survey Results 39 Profile of Respondents 40 Consumption of Kpop Content 43 Cultural Offerings of Kpop Content 46 Needs of the Fans Satisfied by Consuming Kpop Content 58 Focus Interview Results 68 The Interviewees 69 Consumption of Kpop Content 71 Cultural Offerings of Kpop Content 78 Needs of the Fans Satisfied by Consuming Kpop Content 87 Synthesis of the Results 94
6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 102 Summary 102 Conclusion 106
7 IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 108 Implications 108 Recommendations 111
ENDNOTES 113 BIBLIOGRAPHY 123 APPENDICES 130 A. Survey Questionnaire 131 B. Focus Interview Guide 135 C. Lyrics: miss A’s Bad Girl, Good Girl 137 D. Lyrics: SS501’s Grean Peas 138 E. Lyrics: Shinee’s Get It 139
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LIST OF TABLES
Number Title Page
1 Age of the respondents 41
2 Gender of the respondents 42
3 Respondents’ top choice of fan club 43
4 Frequency of consuming Kpop content 44
5 Respondents’ ways of consuming Kpop content 46
6 If the language barrier affected the respondents’ 48 appreciation of Kpop
7 If the respondents were learning the Korean language 49 because of Kpop
8 If the physical appearance of the Korean artists 50 affected the respondents’ appreciation of Kpop
9 Most appealing visual aspects of Korean music 51 videos
10 Respondents’ actions towards unfamiliar messages in 53 Korean videos
11 Respondents’ opinions on South Korea’s practice of 54 training talents
12 Themes and values present in Kpop videos that 56 appealed to the respondents
13 If the respondents bothered to learn about the 57 meaning of the songs
14 If the respondents took effort to memorize the songs 58 they liked
15 If consuming Kpop content contributed to 60 respondents’ knowledge of South Korea
16 If new knowledge influenced respondents to consume 61 more Kpop content
17 Kpop’s influence on the respondents’ identity 62 xi
LIST OF TABLES
Number Title Page
18 Aspects of respondents’ lifestyle influenced by Kpop 63
19 If the respondents have joined or participated in a 65 social group/s dedicated to Kpop music and artists
20 Respondents’ top choice of social groups 66
21 Respondents’ opinions on South Korea’s quality of 67 entertainment
22 Most entertaining aspects of Kpop 68
1
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Fandom is a way of life. Much like daily activities such as eating, walking, watching television, reading books and the like, fandom is a habitual activity for a fan.
Sandvoss described fandom as the “regular, emotionally involved consumption of a given popular narrative or text”.1 There are emotions invested in the part of the fan such as adoration, idolization and other extreme feelings of fondness. A simple appreciation of a media text may result to repeated and regular consumption. This active consumption is the main subject of this research endeavor.
Background of the Study
Since the advent of media, there has been an influx of ways and opportunities for fans to express their admiration for a popular narrative or text. Fans send fan letters through snail mail, or visit their idols on shoots and productions. And now especially with the dawn of new media such as the Internet and cellphone, the audience and the fans have a faster avenue to express their thoughts. After an episode of a drama series aired, fans would rally online to talk about their thoughts on the recent episode minutes after the broadcast. Andrejevic’s study on the productivity of online fans found that viewer thoughts on an episode can change the way writers and producers create future episodes.2 Through different media, celebrities and broadcast programs are now more reachable for the fans. It is the same way that even fans from one country can access media content from another country. The world has become borderless, and media and fan activities are just two aspects of globalization that brought about the openness of the world.3 2
Therefore, it is no surprise that even a Mexicana named Thalia and four chinky-eyed
men from Taiwanese group F4 captured the hearts of the Filipinos. Marimar and Meteor
Garden were game-changers in the programming landscape of the Philippines and created a
cult-following among Filipinos.4 Their penetration in the mainstream media and the openness of the Filipinos to foreign media products brought upon the Korean Wave in the
country. Since 2003, Korean dramas have become a staple in Philippine television. Studies
show that the Philippines was only one of the many shores that the Korean wave, also known
as Hallyu, affected. Hallyu is the rapid spread of the Korean entertainment industry in Asia.5
In addition, Korean pop music (Kpop) is also popular in Japan, China and Taiwan.6
In the Philippines, Filipinos were only drawn to Korean dramas. However, June 2009 saw the debut of Korean music videos (MVs) in MYX Music Channel. Since then, Kpop as a media content, has become a staple in the programming of said channel, and created a fandom especially among the Filipino teenage fans. Korean songs entered MYX music charts and stayed for weeks.7 Music companies distributed Korean albums in the country, and most
of these albums were best sellers in music stores.8 As an answer to the fans’ clamor for Kpop
content, MYX channel launched Asia Myx in December 2009, and Pop Myx Kpop Edition in
May 2010. The year 2010 marked another milestone for the Kpop fandom among Filipino teens. Numerous Kpop groups like Shinee,9 4minute,10 FT Island,11 Super Junior,12 U-kiss,13
Beast, Kim Hyunjoong14 and Rain15 visited the Philippines to perform.
In addition, more than two thousand Kpop fans gathered for the first ever Philippine
Kpop Convention held in the Philippines International Convention Center on December 10,
2009.16 Various fan clubs and organizations joined hands to establish the Philippine Kpop
Committee, and since its inception in late 2009, numerous projects and events have been held 3
like parties and charitable events. From observation, it is clear that Filipino fans join social
groups to mingle with people with the same interest, as proven by the subculture of Kpop
fans in the country flamed by activities of fan clubs and organizations.
However, it is very interesting to note that there have been no studies attempting to
understand the Kpop fandom among the Filipino teens. What is the reason for their active
consumption of Kpop media texts? What aspects of Kpop media content contribute to the
Filipino teens’ liking and appreciation? Do Kpop media texts gratify the various needs of the
Filipino fans which contribute to their regular consumption? These questions fueled the researcher’s interest in understanding the Filipino teens’ consumption of Korean popular music, videos and artists.
Research Problem
Why do the Filipino teens consume Korean popular music and videos?
Objectives of the Study
In general, the study attempted to understand why the Filipino teens are active consumers of Korean popular music and videos.
Specifically, the study aimed:
a. To measure the consumption of the Filipino teens through their frequency of
consuming Korean popular music and videos;
b. To determine the different ways Filipino teens’ consumed Korean popular music and
videos; 4
c. To identify the different cultural offerings present in Korean popular music texts that
appealed to the Filipino teens;
d. To determine how the presence of cultural offerings influenced the consumption of
the Filipino teens;
e. To know how the consumption of Kpop content gratified the different needs of the
Filipino teens;
f. To find out how the gratification of needs served as a motivation for the Filipino
teens’ continued consumption of Korean music and videos.
Significance of the Study
The primary reason for the researcher’s interest in undertaking a study about Kpop was her own fascination for it. Although guided by her own reasons for consuming Kpop, she wanted to objectively look at the phenomenon. The researcher was also surprised that no other studies have tackled the Kpop fandom in the country considering the multitude of
Filipino Kpop fans and its overwhelming popularity since 2009.
The researcher firmly believes that through this study, the Filipino teenage kpop fans may gain understanding of their fandom, and how their consumption of Kpop media content affects their decisions and participation in many activities in their lives. The study could encourage fans to be critical of the media’s direct effects on their daily decisions. Also, the researcher was convinced that Kpop fans spend a considerable amount of their allowances on buying Kpop media products. This study could make Filipino parents understand their children’s fascination for such foreign media products. 5
The findings of this study could strengthen and contribute to the studies on the appreciation of Filipinos of foreign media content. Also, it is an update on the studies of phenomenon and mania produced by the media, and the formation of fandom in the
Philippines based on novelty and fads. Consequently, this research probed on the effects of the media on its audience, and posited that the audience is active.
The study may become the basis for Korean entertainment companies to recognize the Philippines’ strong potential as a market for their products. This would also be beneficial to Kpop fans who demand easier access. Although some companies, both local and Korean, already recognize the Filipino market, it can’t be denied that Kpop’s reach in the Philippines is still not as widespread as compared to other Asian countries.
Also, this study maybe a basis for broadcast networks and producers to create strategies targeting Kpop fans as potential audience. The local media may also use the findings to recognize the factors that attract Filipino fans to Kpop content and use these strategies to improve local media content.
This study also encourages the audience to become critical and responsive to the media content presented to them. This way, they can contribute to the betterment of the local media through their active participation in the feedback process, thus creating a healthy relationship between the media and the society.
Lastly, the spread of Kpop may cultivate a better relationship between Filipino and
Korean nationals residing in the Philippines, fostering an open society as it promotes intercultural relativism which opens the critical minds of the Filipinos to foreign cultures.
6
Scope of the Study
This study focused primarily on the Kpop fandom among the Filipino teens, regardless of gender and socio-economic status. Using the methods of survey and focus interviews, the study described the processes of the fans’ consumption of Kpop media. It also determined the cultural aspects present in Kpop that Filipino teens could relate with, and how the content gratified the needs of the fans.
In this study, it shall be understood that Kpop not only refers to the music per se, but also the videos with Kpop idols and group in it including official music videos and other television shows featuring Kpop artists. In South Korea, Kpop artists frequently appear in talk, variety, and reality shows. These television shows were included in the media text that served as the basis of the Kpop audience’s response. Only the television shows featuring
Korean artists Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, Shinee, SS501 and U-Kiss were included in the study.
In addition, the researcher focused on understanding the consumption of the fans by describing the cultural offerings of Kpop in the survey questionnaires, as well as the different ways of how Kpop gratified the needs of the fans. It did not attempt to look into other reasons such as other economical, psychological and sociological reasons, but only focused on the four different cultural offerings (language, visuals, cultural capitals, story) and the gratification of the four types of needs (information, personal identity, social interaction, entertainment). The term “fandom” in this study shall be understood as the emotionally- involved consumption of media texts, as opposed to the gathering of people with the same interest for an artist or media content. 7
Also, the study did not attempt to generalize the Filipino teenage Kpop fans, but
rather isolated cases and attempted to understand the individual fandom of the Filipino fans
by means of focus interviews.
Definition of Terms
The following terms shall be understood in context with the study. The researcher
provided this section in order to inculcate the meaning of various terms in relation with the
current research endeavor.
Active Consumption – consuming Kpop texts repeatedly and in a regular basis.
Consumption – the act of using/utilizing Kpop media content.
Convention – a big scale gathering of fans with the same interest, most of the time filled with
activities relating to the object of fandom.
Cultural offerings – facets of the Cultural Proximity Theory used in this study to describe the
content of foreign media texts.
Entertainment company – the agency that manages the assets, schedules, and production of
materials of the Kpop artists (e.g.: YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment, JYP
Entertainment).
Fan – a person with an intense enthusiasm or attachment to Korean popular music, videos
and artists.
Fan Club – an organized fandom established by a group of Kpop fans who share the same
interest for a certain subject of their attention and enthusiasm.
Idol – a singer trained by an entertainment company marketed as an idol for the general
public (e.g.: Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, Shinee, SS501, U-Kiss). 8
Korean Popular Music (Kpop) – a genre of pop music that originated from South Korea and
performed by Korean idol singers and groups.
Kpop Music Video (MV) – the official music video of a Kpop song originally performed by
a Kpop artist and produced by their official Korean entertainment companies.
Kpop Video Clips – clips containing Kpop artists or their music; maybe videos from
television shows.
Media Content – other music, video clips, and music videos which contain or are related in
anyway to Kpop or Kpop artists.
Needs – the different psychological or sociological necessities/wants of the fans that are
gratified by consuming Korean popular music and videos.
Online Forums – Internet communities where fans can post, download, and exchange
comments, messages, pictures, videos with fellow fans.
Teenager – in this study, Filipinos of age 15-19.
9
Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Anchoring on the objectives of this study, the researcher reviewed related studies that are significant to the following concepts: reasons for the fans' active media consumption;
Filipinos as active fans; popular foreign media content in the Philippines; and the Korean
Wave in Asia and the Philippines.
There was a considerable amount of studies found especially regarding the media consumption of fans and the proliferation of Korean media content in Asia. Most of the related literatures were unpublished theses and books found at the College of Mass
Communication's library in the University of the Philippines, Diliman. Online journals and scholarly articles were retrieved from online sources such as Sage Publications, and All
Academic Inc.
This chapter was organized based on the researchers' grouping of general to specific topics, delimiting in the main topic of the study. The subsections are presented in this order: a) media consumption and fan subculture; b) the Filipino fans; c) foreign media content and the Filipino audience; d) the Korean wave; e) integration of related literature; f) research gap:
Kpop as the new leader of the Korean wave in the Philippines.
Media Consumption and Fan Subculture
Fans are textual poachers, and Jenkins proved this in his book with the same title.17 In
his attempt to understand the participatory culture of television fans, Jenkins provided a list
of stereotypes associated with fans:
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1. brainless consumers who buy anything associated with the program or its cast 2. devote their lives to the cultivation of worthless knowledge 3. place inappropriate importance on devalued cultural material 4. are social misfits who have become obsessed with the show 5. are feminized and/or desexualized through their intimate engagement with mass culture 6. are infantile, emotionally and intellectually immature 7. are unable to separate fantasy from reality.18
But why is there such a negative connotation on the fans? Jenkins added that it may have stemmed out of the fanatical, bordering on obsessive, consumption of fans of popular media. In fact, Sandvoss also said that there is an “emotional commitment”19 on the part of the fans, which is mirrored in the “regularity of which they visit and revisit their object of fandom”.20 Both Jenkins and Sandvoss said that fans consume media over and again to consummate their needs. This is the reason why some label them the stereotypes listed above.
Sandvoss added that the subculture in which fans belong to, simply because they consume a common media text, reflects the consumption patterns of its members. He said that “most – maybe all – of those who participate in subcultures which evolve around a given media text or genre conform to the patterns of regular and emotionally committed consumption”.21
Based on this assumption, it can be concluded that fans are very active media consumers.
In one study conducted by Phua,22 he tried to understand the effects of sports fans’ media consumption on their fan identity salience and self-esteem. Phua’s findings reflected that sports fans are not merely “brainless consumers” who consumed media texts and
“devoted their lives to the cultivation of worthless knowledge”, as what the stereotypes in
Jenkins' book said. Rather, they consumed media for various reasons, such as the formation of their fan identity salience and self-esteem. As a result of his quantitative interviews and surveys, Phua concluded that: 11
As predicted, media consumption enhances positive distinctiveness for fans of the sports team, leading to enhanced self-esteem due to the ability to seek information about the team through the various media during the season. By reading newspapers, magazines and articles about the team as well as individual players, watching or listening to commentaries and sports programs, logging on to the Internet to read and post messages on fan forums, and also receive text message updates on their cell phones, sports fans are able to create solidarity with fellow fans, and categorize themselves as part of their in-group.23
Although the framework of Phua was based on the Social Identity Theory, which involves fans’ membership in different social groups, it posited that the fans’ membership to a fandom is one form of consumption because of different group activities involved, as mentioned in his conclusion. In relation to this, Whiteside and Hardin conducted another study about sports media consumption.24 In this study, they tried to understand women's patterns of consumption of sports-related media. The study found out that women consumed sports media for various reasons, including the following:
For the participants, the decision to watch sports was not made in a vacuum; rather, it involved weighing the opportunity to spend time with their husbands and families against choosing to do other activities that were perhaps more suited to their interests, but likely done alone. 25
Whiteside and Hardin's conclusion was very strong, as it resonates the fact that fans,
or even audiences in general, consume media most likely because of precise psychological
reasons, and not because of worthless meanings. In addition, many other mass media
audience studies tackle media consumption as means to consummate other psychological
needs and behavior. These studies will be tackled in the succeeding sections of this chapter.
Meanwhile, Andrejevic studied the productivity of online fans through their active
consumption of television drama serials.26 In the study, fans of certain television shows
gathered online and utilized the Internet, particularly the website Television without Pity, to 12
produce feedback on the latest episodes. Again, there is a factor of media consumption and usage to gratify a need for feedback. Andrejevic said that:
The site may have the potential to serve as an instant focus group, as one respondent put it, but perhaps even more importantly, it helps draw viewers to particular shows and allows them to build up social and information capital that increases their commitment to viewing.27
Although Andrejevic's study focused mainly on the new role of the Internet as a tool for audience feedback, it touched on the assumption that audiences use and reuse media for psychological reasons, such as the need for feedback.
Phua, Whiteside and Andrejevic all studied the subcultures of fans, and how they
consumed media to satisfy various reasons. These studies proved that media consumption
contributes to the formation, development, and/or maintenance of the sport fans’ and
television fans’ media dependency. Therefore, fans are active media consumers.
The researcher of the current study also believes that Kpop fans, like sports fans and
television fans, actively consumed Kpop content because of many psychological and
sociological factors, which this study tried to find out.
The Filipino Fans
Various studies say that fans are the most active media poachers. However, most of the studies mentioned in the previous section involved audiences from foreign countries such as the United States of America. Filipinos have also proven to be very active media consumers.28 But what kind of fans are the Filipinos, most specifically, the youth? How do
they use the media in worshipping their idols and favorite media texts? 13
Ramos and Tanglao attempted to understand the Filipino teens as fans.29 In their highly quantitative study, they tried to find out how Filipino adolescents in the multimedia society worshipped their favorite celebrities. It described the different ways of how Filipino teens consumed media content related to their idols. This is exactly what the current study also tried to do. Ramos and Tanglao’s study purported that there are various psychological implications on the part of the fans as a result of their media consumption. They noted that
“media use (as well as access) facilitates fandom”.30 They added that “fandom cannot occur without media consumption” because it is through the media that audiences are able to
“interact with and learn more about their favorite celebrities”.31
Meanwhile, Parungao focused on the social interaction of fans who were members of
fan clubs.32 He studied fans as a small group of people interacting, as opposed to being
individual consumers. Although his research mainly focused on Filipino adult fans who were
members of Nora Aunor fan clubs, it supported the assumption that Filipinos, as fans, are
active media consumers, to the point that they join organizations to identify with fellow fans.
Parungao said that “a celebrity fan club is one of the life spaces that an individual could
move or operate within”.33 Although the current study did not dwell on the formation and
maintenance of fandom, still joining fan clubs is one form of consumption.34
Both Ramos & Tanglao’s and Parungao’s studies proved that Filipinos have a very
active fan subcommunity – a phenomenon that is very prevalent nowadays with the multitude
of fan clubs dedicated to Korean popular music.
14
Foreign Media Content and the Filipino Audience
The previous section discussed how Filipinos, as an audience, utilize the media for
the gratification of their different needs. This section focuses on the other side of the
pendulum – the media content.
From soap operas to game shows to Korean popular music, foreign media content
have been a staple in the programming of Philippine broadcast media. Because of the
continuing importation of foreign shows by the country's biggest networks, the researcher
had reason to believe that the Filipinos have very positive response to these foreign products,
including Korean popular music. This is the reason why this current study looked into three
types of foreign material that created a huge impact on the Filipino audience in recent years.
These materials included: Spanish-language soap operas; Japanese animated series, popularly
known as anime; and Asian dramas, also known as Asianovelas. These three types of programs, in one way and time or another, affected the viewing habits of the Filipinos.
To begin with, it was the year 1996 when Mexican telenovelas pioneered by the
drama Marimar created a huge impact on the television programming in the Philippines.
According to Oting, Marimar “only didn't make the advertising revenues of RPN 9, the carrier station of Marimar, richer; it made the two broadcasting behemoths, ABS-CBN 2 and
GMA 7, panic, temporarily forgetting their race for the ratings game”.35 From then on,
Mexican telenovelas and other Spanish-language soap operas ruled Philippine television.
But what made the Filipinos like Marimar and other similar programs? Studies by
Oting,36 Peralta37 and Parra38 used both audience and textual analysis to understand the phenomenon. 15
Oting conducted focus interviews of TV network programmers, and Marimar
viewers, in order to find out what contributed to Marimar's impact on the programming of
Philippine television. Oting found out that Marimar's main appeal to the audience included
her “beauty, good facial expression, and sex appeal”.39 On the other hand, the male lead
Sergio's appeal came from his “macho appeal, handsome face, and nice eyes”.40 Oting's findings proved that somehow, the physical appearance and characteristics of the actors in the text contribute to the liking and appreciation of the viewers. Meanwhile, Peralta did a textual analysis of Marimar, and found out that primary texts included the narrative of a
“poor-opressed girl,” “rags-to-riches lady” and “the avenger”.41 Likewise, Parra did an audience analysis of the Filipino viewers' reading and usage of Spanish-language soap operas and the results of Parra's research echoed the findings of both Oting and Peralta. Employing interviews and group discussions, Parra found out that the leading factors that contributed to
the Filipinos’ appreciation of Marimar included the values in the story and the beauty of the
characters.
Aside from this, Oting found out that viewers preferred Marimar over local soaps
because they thought local contents were “baduy, trying hard, corny”42 proving the preference of the audience for foreign content. Aside from this, viewers found Marimar well-budgeted and well-conceptualized as opposed to local-soaps' low budget and shallow content. Based on Oting's study, it is clear that Marimar viewers found the show more relatable and more sophisticated compared to local content. On the other hand, Peralta concluded that the Filipino readers were “eager consumers”43 of media content when they were given the chance to interpret it, supporting Parra's use of Uses and Gratifications theory 16
to prove that Filipinos continually watched Spanish soap operas because these dramas gratified their need for entertainment.44
But aside from the rise of Spanish soaps in the country, animated series from Japan also made way into the programming of Philippine television. According to Ong’s documentary, anime gained popularity in the country after Voltes V aired in the late 1970s.45
On 1999, GMA 7 created a regular anime programming line up to cater to the demand for
anime shows. Abellar did an audience study on the children's perception of animes.46 In a
partial ethnography of children from Marikina, Abellar found out that children used animes
to satisfy their entertainment, escapist, social integration and cognitive needs. Therefore,
children utilized the media for their own needs, which supports the Uses and Gratifications
approach Ong 47 and Parra 48 used.
In relation to this, Guiao and Kiocho also studied the anime program, Samurai X, and
determined the characteristics of the main lead Renou Kenshin that made him popular among
Filipino viewers.49 The humaneness of Kenshin, his well-developed character, and the storyline were just three of the main reasons why Filipinos loved Kenshin and Samurai X. It also encouraged the fans' curiosity, creativity and imagination as they learned Japanese culture and improved their writing skills - another form of gratification also presented in the studies of Ong 50 and Abellar 51 and Parra.52
Both Spanish-language soap operas and Japanese-anime shows reached their peak on
Philippine television in the late 1990's. But when the new millennium entered, another foreign media content ruled Philippine TV and created a mania that was so big it paved the way for an entire Asian drama wave in the Philippines. It was summer of 2003 when Meteor 17
Garden debuted in ABS-CBN's late afternoon programming. ABS-CBN used various
promotional tools to popularize the show among the Filipino people.
In Brabante and Lastimoso's unpublished thesis, they cited promotional tools that
proved to be very effective means to introduce a new show and sustain the audience's clamor
for it.53 These techniques created a very active audience, one that did not merely watch and absorb the media content, but rather actively consumed media content. In fact, Tumambing said that, “posters of F4 and Barbie Hsu, and MG and F4 stuff (playing cards, t-shirts, pirated
CDs, bags, and other items) increased in the market and were everywhere”.54 Catindig,
Galang and Galias’s study aimed to determine the politics and economics in the promotion
and consumption of Meteor Garden.55 Most of their respondents were attracted to the F4 members because of their physical attributes and talent. This was similar to Marimar
viewers' inclination to the good looks of the show's characters,56 proving that sometimes, viewer consumption is partly based on the physical appearance of the show’s artists.
Spanish-language soap operas, Japanese animated series, and Asian dramas were all very well-received in the country. Most of the studies analyzed the audience and found out that their reason for the consumption of these products included the attractive physical appearance of the actors, the good values presented in the content, and the high-quality production of the TV shows. The researcher believed that the same elements were present in
Korean popular music, and this presence was the reason why many Filipino teens became very much attracted to Kpop music, videos and artists.
18
The Korean Wave
In the previous section, the popularity of foreign media content in the Philippines was
discussed. Among these television products, Asianovelas arguably created the biggest impact
not just in the Philippines but in the whole of Asia. To be more specific, Koreanovelas, or
Korean drama series, paved the way for the Korean Wave in the said continent. But why did
Asians appreciate Korean pop culture?
Ryoo,57 Shim,58 Hyun59 and Ju60 all conducted in-depth analyses of the Korean
Wave. Hallyu, or the rapid spread of Korean entertainment in Asia, took the continent by storm shortly before the new millennium started.61
Arguably the most cited paper about the Korean Wave is Shim’s Hybridity and the
Rise of Korean Culture in Asia.62 In this paper, Shim’s descriptive study was highly
qualitative, which was the same approach that this current study utilized. He argued that the
dominance of American media in the globalization is an unjustified claim, as South Korea
was able to add twists and local tastes on an entirely western invention. Shim believed that
cultural hybridization contributed greatly to the success of the Korean Wave. He said that
“cultural hybridization has occurred as local cultural agents and actors interact and negotiate
with global forms, using them as resources through which Koreans construct their own
cultural spaces”.63 Through these cultural agents, Koreans were able to produce media content that were a “hybridization of well-embraced foreign styles”,64 and value-laden themes that were centered on their own culture. Koreans made use of their local identity to put flavor in an otherwise very western medium.
On the other hand, Ryoo explained the “formation process of Korean popular music in its present form”.65 He mentioned how Koreans appreciated and studied Western and 19
Japanese media content in order to produce their own media texts. Ryoo believed that Korean popular culture managed to penetrate the Asian market because of its ability to translate
Western ideas to very identifiable Asian content. He also elaborated how the “modernity”66
of South Korea served as an important factor in the success of the Korean Wave. Asians
would like to emulate the good and beautiful life, including the advancement of technology,
presented in Korean drama settings.67 This finding is further supported by Chan's statement:
“Structural changes in the economy and technology in East Asia surely have facilitated
global and intra-regional flows of cultural-media products in the region”.68
Both Shim's and Ryoo's studies support the current research's assumption that culture has something to do with the appreciation of content. Although both Shim and Ryoo didn’t mention the Cultural Proximity Theory, their findings reflected the assumptions of the said theory.
In connection to this, Ju examined the Korean wave's popularity in East Asia, and she concluded the following:
Seemingly, the cultural proximity toward Korean TV dramas is much closer to East Asian audiences’ real life experiences than American dramas. East Asian audiences more easily relate to them, and thus can be fans of Korean dramas. The trend of Korean dramas’ popularity in East Asian countries is embodied in the notion of cultural proximity within the East Asian regional media exchanges, and is not simple, linear, or symmetrical in nature, as suggested by the unified Confucian culture.69
Ju suggested that the similarity in culture contributed to the openness of Asians to
Korean media products. Cultural proximity embodies factors that are widely understood by
Asians, such as “norms of beauty (male and female), mannerism, style in clothing, and a
sense of Asianness in contrast to perceived western outlooks”.70 Also, Lee71 and Trepte72
utilized Cultural Proximity Theory in examining the success of television shows. Trepte 20
explored the factors that made television shows successful. Lee, on the other hand,
interviewed Japanese fans of the Korean drama Winter Sonata. Both studies proved how
“cultural factors influence audience perceptions”.73 Lee’s qualitative study concluded that
physical appearance of the actors contributed greatly to Korean dramas’ appeal, similar to the
findings of Oting74 and Cabato.75 Trepte concluded that the audience looked for their
“cultural and identity needs” in the television shows that they chose to watch.
All of the studies reviewed in this section analyzed the reasons why Korean media content became popular amongst Asians. Just like the findings in the previous section, familiar cultural constructs such as moral values and high-quality production values contributed to the appreciation of Korean dramas. Even the Philippines already rode the
Korean wave, and more recently, Korean dramas are not the only Korean media products that can be found in Philippine media. Korean popular music slowly made way to the mainstream media and many Filipino teens became fans of the Kpop wave.76
Integration of Related Literatures
With the help of the literature review, the researcher was able to prove specific and
significant aspects of the study. First, fans use the media to facilitate their fandom because it
is through the media that they can consume their favorite media content. Aside from this, the
media satisfies their various needs, may it be for entertainment,77 self-concept and fan identity78 or maybe for reasons outside a vacuum, like strengthening family ties.79 In addition, repeated consumption of media forms subculture and involves the emotional involvement of fans80 and this emotional commitment brings about the poaching nature of
audience.81 21
In an attempt to understand the Filipino fans, the researcher chose studies specific to
the Filipino audience. Through various studies, it was deduced that Filipinos, as an audience,
are very active proven by the presence of fan clubs which they use as a life space.82 Also,
Filipino fans use the media to satisfy their fandom. Many studies suggest that media and fandom are two ends of the pendulum, therefore one cannot exist without the other.83
Next, Filipinos are very open to and appreciative of foreign media content they can interpret and relate with, proven by the mania created by three types of foreign television shows over the years, namely Spanish soaps, Japanese animes and Asian dramas.
And more importantly, Korean Wave has hit Asia, including the Philippines because of its Asianess, value-laden content, good-looking actors and high-quality production.84
Research Gap: Kpop as the New Leader of the Korean Wave in the Philippines
This subsection tackles the popularity of Korean Popular Music among the Filipino teens in recent times. Most of the resources came from newspapers and online articles, as studies about Kpop in the Philippines were lacking, if not non-existent.
When MYX aired an array of Kpop videos in June 2009, Kpop came to the limelight.
Filipino fans, who were previously silent, came out and openly expressed their adoration for
Korean music, videos and artists. As what Hicap said, “not only do they interact in their own forums, on blogs and networking sites, they also meet regularly, hold fan gatherings and dutifully buy their idols' CDs, photo books, T-shirts and other merchandise.”85 What did
these Kpop artists possess? In the words of Sablan in his article for the Philippine Daily
Inquirer, “The world has gone crazy over Korean pop. Very popular right now are boy bands
and girl groups with members who harmonize beautifully and showcase well-choreographed 22
dance steps.”86 He added that these artists were “good-looking, stylish, entertaining and hotter than kimchi.” Perhaps these characteristics were some of the factors that attracted the
Filipino teens, and this study aimed to find the truth behind this.
All of the four sections of the literature review (media consumption, Filipinos as fans, foreign media content in Philippines media, the Korean wave) were well-studied in the academe. There have been studies about the Filipinos' reception of other foreign products such as Korean dramas, but not with Korean popular music. No studies were found that delved on the popularity of Kpop before or after MYX aired Kpop music videos. In Asia, the
Philippines is relatively new in the Kpop wave, and this is why no studies have tackled this phenomenon. This research tried to be the first study on the Kpop phenomenon among the
Filipino teens.
23
Chapter 3
STUDY FRAMEWORK
In this study, the following theories were used: Cultural Proximity Theory by Joseph
Straubhaar, Media Dependency Theory by Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur and
Uses and Gratifications Theory by Jay Blumler and Elihu Katz .
Theoretical Framework
In this section, the three theories are individually discussed. Then, important assumptions were taken to form the Integrated Theoretical Framework from which
Conceptual and Operational frameworks were based.
Cultural Proximity Theory
In his attempt to understand the rise of Brazilian television content among Latin
American audiences, Joseph Straubhaar developed the Cultural Proximity Theory.87
Although the content of Brazilian television shows had American influences, the localization
of texts enabled Latin Americans to relate with Brazilian shows.88 In a series of studies about the flow of television content in South America,89 Straubhaar fully developed his version of the Cultural Proximity Theory, especially in studies on the globalization of television.
His theory states that television audiences seek local media content because of its traditional and identifiable cultural content and language. But if the local media fails to deliver this, Elasmar noted Straubhaar’s belief that the audience would prefer television content with similar texts from countries proximate in geography, culture and language.90 24
Although language is the main element that audiences identify with,91 Straubhaar said that sometimes:
“…they go beyond language to include history, religion, ethnicity (in some cases) and culture in several senses: shared identity, gestures and nonverbal communication; what is considered funny or serious or even sacred; clothing styles; living patterns; climate influences and other relationships with the environment.92
In his recent attempt to update Cultural Proximity Theory, Straubhaar argued that
cultural proximities are dynamic based on the audiences’ identification of the following
cultural offerings:
a. Linguistic - local/national language, jokes, slang; b. Visual - ethnic appearances, stars, clothing, style; c. Cultural capital - knowledge, references, issues; d. Values - religion, dress, gender roles, sexual imagery.93
The audiences’ sense of proximity may vary, depending on their exposure to and
identification of the cultural offerings mentioned above. Sometimes, exposure to the media
comes before selection of content, but most of the time, selection of the texts occurs first,
guided by their sense of cultural proximity. This is the case with the Korean Wave in Asia.
Most of the studies about Hallyu used Straubhaar’s Cultural Proximity Theory to explain the
popularity of Korean dramas especially in East Asia.94 Shim’s study focused on the hybridization of culture, and how Korean producers were able to localize foreign content.95
Hyun supported Shim’s conclusion by stating that condensed cultures in Asia was reconciled
by the modern Asian hybridity. This phenomenon is the same with the Brazilianization of
Latin American television in the 70’s-80’s studied by Straubhaar.96 These studies have proven how Cultural Proximity Theory accounts for the popularity of media content from one country to another, such as the spread of telenovelas from Brazil in South America, and the rise of the Korean Wave in Asia. 25
In this current research endeavor, the researcher attempted to translate Straubhaar’s theory into the rise of Korean popular music (Kpop) in the Philippines. Although Straubhaar, and many other researchers (Shim, Hyun, Ryoo, Ju), used Cultural Proximity Theory in studying about the transnational flow of television content, the current researcher utilized the theory in understanding the transnational flow of Kpop content, not only through television, but also through the Internet and the local music market.
Media Dependency Theory
Media Dependency Theory was developed by Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin
DeFleur in 1976. In its simplest sense, Dependency Theory states that the more the person depends on the media to provide his needs, the greater the importance of that media will be in the person’s life, and thus, the greater the influence of the media on the person.97
There are two factors that shape the audience’s degree of dependence on the media.
First, the needs of the person that are being provided more by one media than another, and second, the social changes and conflicts that could make the audience reevaluate their needs, thus increasing their dependency. Dependency Theory also assumes that a person’s needs are not always personal. There are other determinants of needs like various cultural or social conditions.
Dependency Theory has been used in mass media studies to explain mass media effects. In 2006, Botta used the theory in explaining how dependency of Zambians on television for information on HIV/AIDS resulted to the acceptance of condom use.98
Similarly, Patwardhan and Ramaprasad studied the Internet activities of Indians, and
employed dependency theory in explaining how the dependency of Indians on the Internet 26
influenced their activities.99 The two studies greatly resonated how dependency on media caused the audience to perform a specific behavior.
Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur provided a model of the theory. In the model, the media is seen by both active and casual observers. Through the exposure, dependency is activated for various cultural and psychological reasons. The intensity of the dependency would rise for the arousal of cognition and affection. The greater the arousal of these two, the greater is the involvement in the information processing and the greater the influence on the observer’s behavior, cognition and affection.100
The researcher utilized Media Dependency Theory in explaining the process of the
Filipino teenage fan’s consumption of Kpop and other related media content, and how their dependency on the media made way for certain behaviors, such as their greater involvement in the information processing of Korean media content.
Uses and Gratifications Theory
Uses and Gratifications Theory is one of the earliest theories that postulate the audience to be active. Developed by Elihu Katz and Jay Blumler, the key elements in this theory are the uses of the media, and the gratifications produced by those uses.101 The
audience is deemed to be “goal-directed in its media-use” as their main goal is to satisfy their
different needs.102
In their 1974 article entitled Uses and Gratifications Research, Elihu Katz, Jay
Blumler, and Michael Gurevitch elaborated on the theory of Uses and Gratifications.103
Using Lundberg and Huten’s uses and gratifications model, the three authors singled out the
following assumptions to further summarize the theory: 27
a. The audience is conceived of as active. b. In the mass communication process much initiative in linking need gratification and media choice lies with the audience member. c. The media compete with other sources of need satisfaction. d. Methodologically speaking, many of the goals of mass media use can be derived from data supplied by individual audience members themselves. e. Value judgments about the cultural significance of mass communication should be suspended while audience orientations are explored on their own terms.104
In the paper, the three authors postulated the sources of media gratification to be: a)
media content; b) media per se; c) the social context of the exposure to the media.105 In addition, Blumler and Katz identified four major purposes of the media: a) diversion or entertainment; b) personal identity; c) personal relationships; d) surveillance. McQuail developed his own summary of the different needs that media usage can provide:
a. Information b. Personal Identity c. Integration and Social Interaction d. Entertainment106
In recent years, researchers have been using the Uses and Gratifications Theory to
explain the dependence of users to the Internet. For instance, Cho et.al used the theory in
understanding the Internet usage among Americans of different socio-economic status.107
Also, Urista conducted group interviews to study the dependence of teenagers on social
networking sites for information and entertainment.108
In this study, the researcher utilized Uses and Gratifications Theory to understand the
Filipino teens’ consumption of Korean popular music and videos. Using McQuail’s ratified
summary of media purposes,109 she determined which of the Filipino teens’ needs were being gratified by the consumption of Kpop content.
28
Integrated Theoretical Framework
Combining important propositions from the theories of Cultural Proximity, Media
Dependency and Uses and Gratifications, the researcher used the following assumption as a
framework for the study:
a. The audience prefers media content with familiar cultural offerings such as
linguistics, visuals, cultural capital, and values.
b. If these content are not found in the local media, the audience would look for
media content coming from other countries proximate in geography, culture, or
language.
c. If the need for cultural offerings is satisfied, dependency is activated.
d. Once dependency is activated, the audience would be more involved in the
information processing.
e. Other than the need for familiar cultural offerings, other needs are gratified,
leading to the repeated consumption of media content.
Conceptual Framework
In translating the theoretical framework into specific concepts used in this study, the
researcher specified the audience to be Filipino teenage Kpop fans. The media content was
understood as Korean popular music, videos and television shows.
The facets of Cultural Proximity theory was translated into more specific concepts
such as language, visuals, cultural capitals, and stories. Language referred to the languages present in Korean music and videos. On the other hand, visuals represented aesthetic elements in the media content. Cultural Capital included history, jokes, idioms and traditions 29 exclusive to the Korean culture, whereas stories referred to sets of values and themes present in the text.
The information processing of the Kpop fans referred to their different patterns and ways of consuming Kpop media content. On the other hand, the theoretical model of the different media purposes provided by McQuail 110 was retained in the conceptual framework.
Information was the knowledge that fans gained from the exposure to Kpop media content.
Personal Identity referred to the fans’ personal growth, personality changes, dreams, goals and aspirations that were gained or lost during the process of consuming Korean music and videos. Social Interaction pertained to the social relationships with family, friends and fellow fans that have been affected by the fans’ Kpop fandom. And lastly, entertainment denoted how Kpop provided happiness, amusement, diversion and other entertaining purposes to the consumers.
Operational Framework
To further elaborate the research framework, concepts were provided with indicators in order to measure the variables of the study. The researcher formulated a model
(Figure 1) to illustrate the phenomenon being studied.
In the model, the Filipino Kpop fans were specified to be of age 15-19. Korean music was identified to be the music of Korean idol groups Girls’ Generation Super Junior, Shinee,
SS501 and U-Kiss. Korean music videos included the MVs of the said Korean groups.
Television shows pertained to the reality shows of the same set of Kpop artists, such as Girls’
Generation’s Hello Baby, Super Junior’s Full House, Shinee’s Hello Baby 2, and U-Kiss’s
Vampire. 30
The concept of linguistics was indicated as Korean. Whereas the concept visuals involved the Korean artists’ face, body, height, fashion, hairstyle, music video concept, and choreography. Cultural Capital included Korean customs, traditions while history pertained to the values of family and friendship, and the themes of love and friendship.
The information-processing was measured through the fan’s frequency and ways of
media consumption.
The specific needs weren’t specified per se, as they were identified by the
respondents and interviewees during the data collection. Needs were operationalized to be
the concepts of information, personal identity, social interaction and entertainment.
31
32
Chapter 4
METHODS AND PROCEDURES
In this chapter, the research design and methods are discussed, along with the concepts and indicators, units of analysis and sampling, data gathering and data analysis.
Research Design and Methods
In understanding the phenomenon of Kpop fandom among the Filipino teens, the researcher chose both quantitative and qualitative paradigms. Two types of surveys
(traditional and online) were employed in order to get a quantitative overview of the frequency, ways and reasons of the fans’ consumption. The researcher also utilized focus interviews on six fans in order to isolate the phenomenon and the units of analysis. Since the researcher studied cases bounded by time and activity, it was more apt to use cross-sectional approach of data construction, analysis, and interpretation.
Survey
The researcher conducted a survey among the Filipino Kpop fans in order to collect quantified data regarding their patterns of consuming Korean music and videos. The survey sampling was purposive in order to specifically target the population of Kpop fans. Both traditional and online surveys were employed on a total of 270 respondents. Two surveys were conducted in order to give representation to both Kpop fans who were active attendees of fan club events, and also virtual Kpop fans who were active in various Internet Kpop communities. For the traditional survey, 120 members of the fan clubs Girls’ Generation
Philippines, Super Junior United, Shinee World Philippines, Triple S Philippines, and U-Kiss 33
Me PH answered the questionnaire. On the other hand, a total of 150 online Kpop fans
participated in the online survey questionnaire posted in the following Internet Kpop
communities: Girls’ Generation Philippines,111 Super Junior United,112 Shinee World
Philippines,113 Triple S Philippines,114 and U-Kiss Me PH.115
Focus Interview
The researcher chose six Kpop fans with varying degrees of fandom as units of analysis. The researcher chose focus interviews, as opposed to focus group discussions,
because this method made possible richer, more in-depth discussion between the researcher
and the Kpop fans.
The researcher conducted six different focus interviews of fans aged 15-19 years.
These Kpop fans were members of the local fan club of the following artists: Girls’
Generation Super Junior, Shinee, SS501 and U-Kiss. These Korean groups were chosen for this study because of their popularity among the Filipino Kpop fans. Super Junior and Girls’
Generation are arguably the most popular Korean groups in the country with multiple albums sold in the market, various songs in television music charts, and multitude of supporters in
Kpop events like the Philippine Kpop Convention and Kpop Culture and Fest.
Meanwhile, in terms of online memberships, Kpop groups have relatively large local
Internet communities (as of March 15, 2011). Shinee World Philippines has 2,892 registered
members while Triple S Philippines has 2,692 members. On the other hand, Girls’
Generation Philippines official website has 3,679 registered members while U-Kiss Me PH
has 4,854. Lastly, Super Junior United, the unofficial unification of four different fan clubs 34 dedicated to the Korean boy group Super Junior, currently has 4,966 registered members on its official fan site.
Variables and Measures/Concepts and Indicators
The following concepts and indicators were used in the study:
1. Consumption –watching or listening to any Korean popular music related media
including music, videos and online content. It was measured through the frequency of
consumption, and the different way of consumption.
a. Frequency of consumption – the incidence of consuming Kpop. It may refer to
the number of times a fan consume Kpop, or the regularity and patterns of
Kpop consumption.
b. Ways of consumption – different ways and means of consuming Korean
popular music using various media such as Internet and television.
2. Cultural Offerings – the different aspects of culture that may or may not be present
in Kpop content, and that may or may not be the reasons for its appeal to the Filipino
teens. This concept was measured through the following indicators:
a. Linguistics – language spoken in the media content
b. Visuals – aesthetic elements in the media content, such as artists’ face, music
video, etc.
c. Cultural Capitals – cultural elements such as traditions, history, customs, etc.
d. Stories – sets of values and thematic elements present in the narrative of
videos and songs. 35
3. Needs – the different kinds of wants or necessities that were gratified by Kpop and
were motivational in the fans' consumption of Kpop content. Needs were specifically
classified as follows:
a. Information
b. Personal Identity
c. Social Interaction
d. Entertainment
Research Instruments
The survey questionnaire was divided in the following sections (each was a variable measured in this study): 1) profile of respondents; 2) consumption; 3) cultural offerings; 4) needs. The questionnaire aimed to measure the Filipino fans’ patterns of Kpop consumption.
The instrument was validated through a mock survey on 30 respondents who were fans of
Korean popular idol groups.
Meanwhile, the interview guide was outlined intro three basic sections based on the main concepts of the study: 1) consumption; 2) cultural offerings; 3) needs. The main purposes of the instrument were: to ask the participants about the frequency and patterns of their Kpop consumption; to know the cultural aspects present in Kpop content that appeal to them; and to determine their different needs being gratified by Kpop.
The guide went through content validation. The pre-testing proved that focus interviews were more appropriate for the study. The researcher developed the instrument after conducting two focus group discussions on small groups of 4-6 participants who were all members of Kpop fan clubs. 36
Units of Analysis
Since the study focused on the consumption of Kpop, units of analysis were the
Filipino teens who considered themselves hardcore Kpop fans. In addition, all units of
analysis were members of at least one of the following fan clubs: Girls’ Generation
Philippines, Super Junior United, Shinee World Philippines, Triple S Philippines, and U-Kiss
Me PH. The following criteria also served as bases for the chosen respondents and interviewees: 1) 15-19 years of age; 2) Filipino; 3) resident of Metro Manila; 4) has been a
Kpop fan for no less than six months, 5) an active consumer of Kpop media content.
Data Gathering
The data gathering procedure covered a period of one month, beginning on the 5th of
December 2010 to the 6th of January 2011.
As soon as the instrument was developed and validated, the online survey questionnaire was posted online using the survey tool Kwiksurvey. 116 The online survey was
opened for a whole month (December 5, 2010 – January 6, 2011) to all Kpop fans who
wished to answer the questionnaire. On the closing day of the online survey, a total of 349
online questionnaires were received.
Meanwhile, the traditional survey was conducted on the 11th of December 2010
during the Philippine Kpop Convention held at the Philippine International Convention
Center (PICC) Tent in Pasay City. By purposively staying on the fan club booths, the
researcher ambushed Kpop fans aged 15-19 years old and asked them to answer the survey
questionnaires. 37
Lastly, the focus interviews also took place during the Philippine Kpop Convention in
PICC Tent. Since the researcher interviewed members of specific fan clubs as units of analysis, she first asked the permission of the head of each fan club before interviewing the member as a representative of the group. Each interview lasted for half an hour minimum to forty-five minutes maximum.
The researcher recorded the focus interviews using a video camera and a digital audio recorder. These recordings helped in the transcription of data which was used as the main source of the discussion and analysis of findings.
Data Analysis
The researcher used thematic and framework analysis in analyzing the data. As what
Rabiee mentioned, the main aim in the analysis of focus group interviews is to reduce the
large amount of data generated from the data collection.117 Using the two techniques
mentioned, the researcher reduced and sifted through the most important findings.
The researcher made use of themes that were deduced in categorizing the findings.
Meanwhile, Krueger’s Framework Analysis guided the sifting of data. The five key stages of
this analysis involved the following:
a. Familiarization – watching recorded discussions and interviews, reading transcripts and listening to tapes b. Thematic Framework – developing categories and themes by lifting out texts and phrases from transcripts c. Indexing – sifting the data by lifting quotes and comparing them d. Charting – arranging lifted quotes into the newly- developed categories and themes e. Mapping and Interpretation – managing the data and interpreting them accordingly.118
38
All these steps helped in managing the large amount of data and reducing them into more pertinent findings relevant to the study.
Expenses
The following list states the expenses spent in conducting the entire study:
Binding of final thesis (4 copies) – Php 1,000
Printing of documents – Php 500
Photocopy of final drafts – Php 300
Batteries and tapes for A/V recorder – Php 500
Token for interviewees – Php 500
Food and refreshment for interviewees – Php 300
Total – Php 3,100
39
Chapter 5
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In this chapter, the results and discussion of data from both the quantitative (survey)
and qualitative (focus interview) methods are presented. Three variables were determined in
the instruments: consumption of Kpop content, cultural offerings in Kpop music and videos,
and needs of the fans satisfied by consuming Kpop media texts.
The researcher conducted two types of survey – traditional survey and online survey.
This method was employed in order to get a quantitative overview of the consumption of the
Filipino teen fans. The respondents for the two types of survey were chosen based on their age (15-19 years old). The traditional survey participants were also screened by their membership to at least one of the following fan clubs: Girls’ Generation Philippines, Super
Junior United, Shinee World Philippines, Triple S Philippines, and Kiss Me PH. Meanwhile, the participants of the online survey were active users of at least one of the following Internet communities: Girls’ Generation Philippines, Super Junior United Philippines, Shinee World
Philippines, Ukissme PH, and Triple S Ph. In interpreting the quantified data, frequency count and percentage equivalence were used.
The researcher chose six fans among the participants of the traditional survey for in- depth interviews. The focus interviews represented the qualitative phase of the study and provided a deeper analysis of the Kpop phenomenon among the Filipino fans.
Survey Results
Both traditional and online surveys were employed, and the combined number of
participants totaled to 270 respondents. Respondents for the traditional survey comprised of 40
120 Filipino fans aged 15-19 years and were members of the fan clubs Girls’ Generation
Philippines, Super Junior United, Shinee World Philippines, Triple S Philippines, and Kiss
Me PH. Meanwhile, 150 online respondents answered the online survey posted in the following Internet communities: Girls’ Generation Philippines, Super Junior United
Philippines, Shinee World Philippines, U-Kissme PH, and Triple S Ph. The survey aimed to determine the Filipino teens’ frequency and ways of consuming Korean music and videos, as
well as the different cultural offerings embedded in Kpop content which the Filipino fans
could identify with. The researcher also determined if the consumption of Kpop content had
an impact on the fans’ four types of needs (information, personal identity, social interaction,
and entertainment).
Profile of Respondents
There were 120 qualified respondents who participated in the traditional survey. They
were all attendees of the 2010 Philippine Kpop Convention held at the Philippine
International Convention Center Tent last December 11, 2010. The survey participants were
chosen based on their age (15-19 years old) and their membership to one of the following fan
clubs: Girls’ Generation Philippines, Super Junior PH, Shinee World Philippines, Triple S
Philippines, and Kiss Me PH. On the other hand, a total of 150 respondents aged 15-19 years
old answered the online survey posted on the following Kpop Internet communities: Girls’
Generation Philippines, Super Junior United Philippines, Shinee World Philippines, U-
Kissme PH, and Triple S Philippines.
41
Age
As shown in Table 1, 15-year old fans had the highest representation in the traditional survey respondents as they comprised 25% of the total sample. Meanwhile, those 19 years of
age comprised 22%. Almost one-fifth (19%) were 16 years old while the rest were aged 17
(17%) and 18 (15%).
On the other hand, the table also shows that the online survey comprised of more 18-
year old fans commanding 25% of the total number of online participants, while a fifth (20%)
each were of age 15 and 16.
The ages of 15 and 18 led the percentage equivalence of the traditional and online
survey, respectively. However, it can be observed that the other ages (16, 17, 19) were also well-represented in the survey sample.
Table 1. Age of the respondents
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Age No. % No. % No. % 15 31 25.8 31 20.7 62 23.0
16 23 19.2 31 20.7 54 20.0
17 18 15.0 26 17.3 44 16.2
18 21 17.5 38 25.3 59 21.9
19 27 22.5 24 16.0 51 18.9
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
Gender
Table 2 shows that an overwhelming majority (62%) of the traditional respondents were females, while the remaining 37% were males. Similarly, nearly all (88%) online 42
respondents were females, while only 11% were males. The gap between the number of male
and female respondents of the traditional survey was relatively smaller than that of the online
survey. However, it is evident from both survey results that the female Kpop fans
outnumbered the male fans by a huge margin. In fact, the combined results show that more
than three-fourths of all the respondents were females.
Table 4. Gender of the respondents
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Gender No. % No. % No. % Male 45 37.5 18 11.3 63 23.3
Female 75 62.5 132 88.7 207 76.7
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
Fan Clubs
The fan club is an important indicator in the study as it shows the artist supported by
the respondents. The Korean girl group Girls’ Generation had the most number of fans
among the Filipino teens. In Table 3, nearly one-third (29%) of the traditional survey
respondents were self-proclaimed Sones, the fandom name of those who considered themselves Girls’ Generation fans. Only a fifth (20% each) of the respondents were members of ELF and Shawol (Shinee World), while only 11% belonged to the Triple S fan club.
The table also shows that among the online respondents, Girls’ Generation was also the most popular choice with a third (32%) of the sample admitting to being fans.
Meanwhile, just like in the traditional survey, 20% were supporters of boy group Shinee. The male groups Super Junior and Ukiss had 16% and 15% fan share among the respondents, respectively, while only 11% were SS501 fans. 43
It is observable that Girls’ Generation had the most fans among the respondents, and even led the numbers in both traditional and online surveys. Also, both surveys reflected that the group SS501 had the fewest number of fans among the Filipino teens. The other three male groups (Super Junior, Shinee, U-Kiss) had an almost equal amount of fans, with Shinee coming in a distant second to Girls’ Generation.
Table 3. Respondents’ top choice of fan club
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Fan Club No. % No. % No. % Super Junior – E.L.F. 24 20.0 23 15.3 47 17.3
SS501 – Triple S 14 11.7 18 12.0 32 11.9
Girls’ Generation – 35 29.2 53 35.3 88 32.6 Sone
Shinee – Shinee World 24 20.0 31 20.7 55 20.4
Ukiss – Kiss Me 23 19.1 25 16.7 48 17.8
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
Consumption of Kpop Content
In this section, the variable consumption was measured by indicators such as frequency and ways of consuming Kpop content. The Kpop fans were asked about the number of times they listened to or watched Kpop music and videos weekly, and the different ways they consumed these media texts.
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Frequency of Consuming Kpop Content
In Table 4, it is shown that a huge percentage (83%) of the traditional survey respondents consumed Kpop music and videos every day, while only a few (12%) consumed such texts every other day. Even fewer (4%) respondents consumed Kpop content only once or twice weekly.
The table also states that nearly all (91%) respondents of the online survey consumed
Kpop music and videos every day while a minority of seven percent (7%) consumed Kpop content every other day. Only one percent (1%) of the online participants watched or listened to Kpop music or videos once or twice a week.
The data collected prove that the respondents were highly exposed to Korean popular media texts such as songs and music videos because almost all of the survey respondents consumed such text every day.
Table 4. Frequency of consuming Kpop content
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Number of times No. % No. % No. % Once or twice a week 5 4.2 2 1.3 7 2.6
Every other day 15 12.5 11 7.3 26 9.6
Everyday 100 83.3 137 91.4 237 87.8
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
Ways of Consuming Kpop Content
A multiple-response question was posed to the respondents in terms of their ways of consuming Kpop content. Table 5 shows that of the nine choices provided, almost all (114) the 120 traditional survey respondents chose the Internet as a source of free Kpop content. 45
The table also shows that again, almost all (142) online respondents also preferred the
Internet as a source of free Kpop music and videos.
Aside from being a source of free content, the Internet also served as a tool for news and updates. Eighty-nine (89) traditional survey respondents and 125 online respondents used the Internet for the said purpose.
The respondents also utilized other ways of consuming Kpop content. Seventy (70) traditional survey respondents said that they attended fan convention and events. On the other hand, 59 each chose Free TV and Cable TV as their sources of Kpop content. Meanwhile, 73 online respondents chose Cable TV. Other ways of consumption with their relative number of responses included offline purchasing of merchandises (51 traditional responses, 70 online responses) and attending concerts and events (41 traditional responses, 51 online responses).
The respondents of both surveys utilized various media in their consumption, most notably the Internet and the television. However, of the two, more survey participants preferred the Internet because most Kpop content online could be accessed for free. In fact, the choices referring to the free use of Internet (Using the Internet for free content, and Using the Internet for news and updates) were preferred by more survey respondents. Meanwhile it can be observed that the choices of paid Internet content (Using the Internet for purchasing and Using the Internet for paid contents) both received the fewest number of responses. Two television media (cable TV and free TV) were also utilized by some Kpop fans, with Cable
TV being the more popular choice of the two.
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Table 5. Respondents’ ways of consuming Kpop content
Traditional Online Ways of consuming Kpop No. No.
Using the Internet for free contents 114 142 (youtube, mediafire)
Using the Internet for news and 89 124 updates (allkpop, soompi, fan forums)
Watching cable TV (Arirang, KBS 59 73 World, MYX, channel V)
Fan conventions and events 70 55
Offline purchasing of merchandises 51 70 (Odyssey, musicone, independent sellers) 41 51 Concerts and live performances Watching free TV (ABS-CBN, GMA, 59 31 TV5)
Using the Internet for purchasing 17 30 (Yesasia, DVDHeaven etc)
Using the Internet for paid contents 14 15 (iTunes, Melon etc.)
*Multiple-Response N = 120 N = 150
Cultural Offerings of Kpop Content
Korean media texts have embedded cultural elements to which the Kpop fans may or may not identify with. In keeping with the theoretical framework of this study, the researcher used the four basic cultural offerings as presented in Straubhaar’s Cultural Proximity Theory. 47
These offerings included the language used in the music and videos (Korean language in this case), the visual elements present in the videos (physical appearance of artists, music video quality), the traditions contained in the messages (customs, practices, idioms, jokes), as well as the story of the media texts (song meanings, themes, values).
The questions were designed to measure whether or not the audience’s familiarity with the cultural aspects mentioned above (which are contained in the Korean music and videos they consumed) motivated them to consume more Korean media content, or whether or not these cultural offerings influenced their consumption of Korean music and videos.
The Korean Language
Most Korean music and videos are spoken in the Korean language – a language unfamiliar to almost all the survey respondents. The most obvious concern with the idea of liking Korean pop music would be the foreign language content. One can assume that the language barrier would hinder the Filipinos’ liking of Korean music, but this wasn’t the case for the survey respondents.
Language Barrier and the Fans’ Appreciation of Kpop Content
In Table 6, it is clear that 9 out of 10 (90%) traditional survey respondents did not consider the Korean language as a barrier to their appreciation of Kpop. Similarly, the table also shows that nearly all (92%) the online respondents believed that the language barrier did not affect their liking. When combined, a total of 248 (91%) traditional and online respondents out of the 270 who answered the survey said that the foreign language did not affect their liking for Korean music, videos, and artists. 48
Since the Korean language did not hinder the appreciation of the respondents, it can be said that they could identify with the language, even if they did not understand it.
Table 6. If the language barrier affected the respondents’ appreciation of Kpop
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Response No. % No. % No. % Yes 11 9.2 11 7.3 22 8.2
No 109 90.8 139 92.7 248 91.8
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
Learning the Korean Language
Despite the language barrier in almost all Kpop content such as songs, videos, and clips, most of the survey respondents disregarded the barrier and channeled their appreciation on other aspects of Kpop (such as music quality, artists’ talents, etc.). The previous table showed that the respondents appreciated the Korean language even if they did not understand it. In fact, Table 7 shows that nearly all (88%) respondents of the traditional survey already started to learn the Korean language while only a few (12%) gave a negative response.
Similarly, over three-fourths (78%) of the online respondents were also studying Korean.
Based on these data, a big number of the survey respondents were studying the foreign language. This huge number is an evidence that the respondents were actually reconciling with the language barrier in order to fully comprehend the content of the Korean media texts. This also explains why almost all of them did not consider the language barrier as a hindrance to their full appreciation of Kpop. A deeper analysis of this phenomenon is discussed in the focus interview results.
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Table 7. If the respondents were learning the Korean language because of Kpop
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Response No. % No. % No. % Yes 106 88.3 118 78.6 224 83.0
No 14 11.7 32 21.3 46 17.0
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
Visual Elements of Kpop Content
In Korean media texts, there are also cultural offerings in the visual elements such as
the physical appearance of the artists as well as the production quality of the music videos.
These cultural offerings may play a huge role in the respondents’ attraction to Kpop because
these were the initial elements seen when they were exposed to Kpop videos. Arguably, what
the “eyes see” can determine whether or not the audience would become fans of a media text.
The Physical Appearance of Korean Artists
When asked whether the physical appearance of Korean artists positively affected
their appreciation of Korean media content, Table 8 reveals that in the traditional survey, a
huge percentage (83%) of respondents answered yes, while only 17% said otherwise.
Similarly, a large number (118) of online respondents also said that the physical appearance
of the artists had a positive effect to their liking.
The data revealed that the survey participants considered the good looks of the
Korean idols as a huge factor in their consumption. This shows that there is a correlation
between visuals and the audience’s appreciation of media content. In this case, the 50
respondents appreciated Korean music and videos more because of the artists’ attractive
physical appearance.
Table 8. If the physical appearance of the Korean artists affected the respondents’ appreciation of Kpop
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Response No. % No. % No. % Yes 100 83.3 118 78.7 218 80.7
No 20 16.7 32 21.3 52 19.3
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
Most Appealing Visual Elements
The physical appearance of Korean artists in their music videos was further specified
into more visual elements such the Korean idols’ face, fashion, hairstyles, body, height, and
makeup. The music videos also have their share of visuals such as the overall concept
(lighting, effects, set), and the dance choreography. All these visual elements were presented
to the respondents, and they were asked to choose the most appealing visual aspects.
In Table 9, the visual elements are listed down with their corresponding number of
responses as given by the respondents. Of the 120 traditional survey respondents, 94 chose
the artists’ face as the most appealing aspect of music videos, while 93 preferred the music video concept (lighting, effects, set). The Korean idols’ fashion also appealed to a big number (86) of respondents, while 76 chose the artists’ hairstyles.
Meanwhile, nearly all (135) online respondents chose the choreography as the most appealing visual aspect, while 122 chose the music video concept. Other physical aspects 51 with remarkable number of responses included face (117 responses) and fashion (112 responses).
The results of the two surveys differed in terms of the respondents’ top choice of most appealing visual aspect. While the traditional survey respondents picked the artists’ face the most, the choreography appealed most to the online respondents. However, when data are combined, neither of the two aspects mentioned topped the survey. Out of 270 respondents, 215 chose the music video concept as most appealing visual aspect, with the artists’ face coming in a very close second, and the choreography in third. Based on these data, it can be observed that the music videos appealed more to the respondents than the physical appearance of the artists in the videos. This is proven by the fact that physical characteristics such as height, body and makeup received the lowest number of responses.
Table 9. Most appealing visual aspects of Korean music videos
Traditional Survey Online Survey Visual Aspects No. No. Music Video Concept 122 93
Face of Korean Artists 117 94
Choreography of songs 135 66
Fashion of Korean Artists 112 86
Hairstyles of Korean Artists 97 76
Body of Korean Artists 64 60
Height of Korean Artists 46 45
Makeup of Korean Artists 47 36
*Multiple Response N = 120 N = 150 52
Cultural Capital of South Korea
Traditions and history are also embedded in Korean music and videos, and they are cultural elements that can be identified by the audience. These cultural capitals include
Korean practices, customs, beliefs, idioms, jokes, and history. Such cultural offerings are
fundamentally Korean, therefore these maybe unfamiliar to foreign viewers of Korean media
texts including the Filipino fans.
Unfamiliar Content in Korean Videos
An example of Korean custom includes the Korean people’s high regard for the
Lunar New Year and the Thanksgiving season. There are also idioms, sayings, and historical
content that are often discussed in variety shows or are shown in music videos. These types
of cultural content that are essentially Korean may leave the foreign audience clueless.
Therefore, without extensive research, foreigners cannot fully understand the media texts.
In the survey, the respondents were asked about what they did whenever they watched videos with such unfamiliar Korean content. Table 10 shows that almost half (49%) of the traditional survey respondents chose to learn about unfamiliar Korean customs, beliefs, etc. that captured their attention. Meanwhile, less than half (45%) learned about every unfamiliar messages, regardless of whether or not the content captured their attention.
In connection with this, Table 10 also reveals that almost two-thirds (62%) of the
online respondents chose to learn selected unfamiliar messages (only those that caught their
curiosity), while the other one-third (33%) said they learned about every foreign cultural
messages in Korean videos. 53
Of the 270 survey respondents, only a measly four percent (4%) (see Table 10) said
they dismissed the unfamiliar messages in Korean media text. The results reveal that almost
all the respondents tried to learn about Korean customs, traditions, history, etc. whenever
they came across such messages in Korean music videos.
Table 10. Respondents’ actions towards unfamiliar messages in Korean videos
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Response No. % No. % No. % Dismiss it totally 6 5.0 6 4.0 12 4.4
55 45.8 50 33.3 105 38.9 Always learn about it
Learn about only 94 62.7 153 56.7 those that capture my 59 49.2 attention TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
South Korean Entertainment Industry’s Practice of Training Talents
The training program of Korean entertainment companies is one of the unique
characteristics of the Korean music industry. Management companies house multiple
hopefuls and train them in the fields of singing, dancing, modeling, music writing, and other
performing arts. In fact, Kim said that the biggest Korean music label SM Entertainment established the well- known SM Academy in 2003.119 According to the institute’s chairwoman Lee Sol-lim, the academy “was set up to share SM’s know-how and experience to educate future entertainers”.120 As of 2008, the academy has over 300 students, and they were chosen through scouting, open auditions, and competitions. Kim also mentioned that the debut dates of the trainees aren’t decided yet, and it’s not always certain if they could actually make it.121 Some trainees practice for three years to as long as seven years. 54
The fact that many idols trained for years is well-known among the Kpop fans. Some even attribute this process to the quality of the Korean artists’ performances. Table 11 shows that 9 out of 10 (90%) traditional survey respondents believed that South Korea’s practice of training talents was praiseworthy. Only five (4%) respondents thought that the long years of training programs was a waste of time.
Similarly, the online respondents also praised the training process with over three- fourths (76%) saying it was commendable. Just like in the traditional survey, only a mere portion (5%) of online respondents thought that training was a waste of time. Note that a big percentage of 83% of survey respondents praised the said practice, and believed that a similar system should also be applied in the Philippines.
Table 11. Respondents’ opinions on South Korea’s practice of training talents
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Response No. % No. % No. % Commendable 109 90.8 115 76.7 224 83.0
Waste of time 5 4.2 8 5.3 13 4.8
Don’t really care about it 6 5.0 27 18.0 33 12.2
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
Story of Korean Music and Videos
If the cultural capitals (traditions, customs, and beliefs) of South Korea may appear as an unfamiliar cultural offering for the foreign fans, more familiar cultural elements would be the narratives contained in Korean music videos and song lyrics. There are universal themes present in the texts, such as romantic love, unrequited love, friendship, and hardwork. Aside from themes, some Korean music videos and songs are also value-laden with content 55
promoting the values of respect for elders as well as close family-ties. The researcher specifically chose the themes and values mentioned above because she observed that these were the most common cultural offerings contained in the Korean videos featuring Girls’
Generation, Super Junior, Shinee, SS501, and U-Kiss.
Themes and Values in Korean Music and Videos
The chosen themes and values were presented to the survey respondents, and they were asked which of these narrative elements appealed the most to them. Out of the 120 respondents of the traditional survey, Table 12 shows that the themes of friendship and loyalty (97 responses) and hard work and determination (87 responses) appealed the most to the Filipino fans. Similarly, the table also reveals that the same two themes also appealed most to the online respondents. Almost all (133) the online respondents also chose friendship and loyalty while 120 chose hard work and determination.
Meanwhile, only less than half (51) of traditional respondents chose romantic love while 70 online respondents also picked the said theme. Even lesser (36) traditional respondents chose regard of family, which was also preferred by 77 online participants. Only
24 offline participants chose unrequited love, and this choice had the fewest responses. It also received the fewest responses from the online survey, with only 52 respondents picking it.
The results show that the respondents greatly identified with the themes of friendship and hard work as can be seen by the big number of participants who chose both as the most appealing narrative elements. The friendship and loyalty between the idols are frequently exhibited in variety or reality shows, such as Girls’ Generations’ Hello Baby,122 Super
Junior’s Full House,123 Shinee’s Hello Baby Season 2,124 and U-kiss’s Vampire.125 The 56
Korean idols’ hard work and determination, on the other hand, are shown in their
documentary programs during their debut, including the reality show Girls’ Generation,
Let’s go to school.126 Meanwhile unrequited love (arguably the most common theme of
Korean music and videos) received the fewest number of responses. The data imply that the respondents related more to the real-life sides of the Korean stars than the characters they
portrayed in their music videos.
Table 12. Themes and values in Kpop videos that appealed to the respondents
Traditional Survey Online Survey Themes and Values No. No. Friendship and loyalty 97 133
Hardwork and 87 120 determination
Romantic Love 51 80
Regard of Family 46 77
Regard of elders 36 70
Unrequited Love 24 52
*Multiple Response N = 120 N = 150
The Meaning of the Songs
Narrative elements are also present in the actual Kpop songs, and these are communicated through the song lyrics. However, the language barrier prevents the immediate comprehension of the survey respondents. But amidst the foreign language, they still found a way to understand the stories behind the music. 57
Table 13 presents the respondents’ actions toward the meanings of the Korean songs.
In the table, nearly all (87%) the offline respondents said that they took effort in learning the
meaning of the songs while only 13% said otherwise. Most of the online respondents did the
same because 88% also learned the song meanings of the Kpop tunes. This data reveal that
the respondents learned about the meanings behind the music, which was initially
incomprehensible due to the language barrier.
Table 13. If the respondents bothered to learn about the meaning of the songs
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Response No. % No. % No. % Yes 104 86.7 132 88.0 236 87.4
No 16 13.3 18 12.0 34 12.6
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
The Lyrics of the Songs
Aside from learning the song meanings, the respondents also admitted to memorizing the lyrics of the song, even if the songs were spoken in the Korean language. Table 14 shows that a huge percentage (90%) of the traditional survey respondents, and 85% of online participants, said they memorized the lyrics of Korean songs they liked. Altogether, the table also shows that 87% of all survey respondents said that they memorized Korean lyrics. The results communicate that amidst the unfamiliarity of the language, most respondents still took effort in memorizing the foreign lyrics of Kpop songs.
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Table 14. If the respondents took effort to memorize the songs they liked
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Response No. % No. % No. % Yes 108 90.0 127 84.7 235 87.04
No 12 10.0 23 15.3 35 12.96
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
Needs of the Fans Satisfied by Consuming Kpop Content
In this section, questions were designed to determine how the consumption of Korean music and videos satisfied the different needs of the fans. These were based on McQuail’s classification of needs under the Uses and Gratifications Theory and included the audience’s need for information, personal identity, social interaction and entertainment.127 As what the
proponents of the Uses and Gratification theory said, the audience generates certain
expectations of the media, which in turn leads to their patterns of consumption.128 If one particular medium provides the viewer a certain need, say entertainment, then that person
would develop a pattern of consumption of that media. The survey participants’ were asked if
Korean music and videos satisfied their four types of need, and whether or not this
satisfaction led to their repeated consumption.
Kpop Fans’ Need for Information
McQuail classified the information as the first basic need of the audience.129 This is
similar to Katz, Gurevitch and Haas’s (1973) category of Cognitive needs – the audience’s
need to acquire knowledge and comprehension of things.130 According to McQuail, in consuming the media, viewers seek to find out about their immediate surroundings, the 59 society, or the world. He also said that general interest and curiosity also falls under the need for information, and sometimes the audience satisfies this by learning (self-education) from the media texts.131
In consuming Korean media content, respondents became exposed not only to the music, but to knowledge and learning about South Korea as well. One of the most basic knowledge contained in Korean music and videos included the culture and traditions of
South Korea.
Knowledge of South Korea
Table 15 clearly shows that two-thirds (67%) of the traditional survey respondents believed that their exposure to Korean media contributed a lot to their knowledge about
South Korea. Less than a third (30%) believed that it only contributed a little, while only four people (4) said that their consumption hadn’t contributed to their knowledge at all.
The online respondents also gained knowledge from their exposure to Kpop, as nearly three-fourths (74%) admitted to learning a lot about the South Korean culture, and 20% said they learned a little about the said country.
Only 12 out of the 270 respondents said they didn’t gain new knowledge, while the rest said otherwise. The overwhelming positive response of the respondents about their general interest and curiosity about the society of South Korea reveals that through their exposure to Korean songs and videos, their need for information about South Korean culture was satisfied.
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Table 15. If consuming Kpop content contributed to respondents’ knowledge of South Korea
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Response No. % No. % No. % A lot 80 66.7 111 74.0 191 70.7
A little 36 30.0 31 20.7 67 24.8
Not at all 4 3.3 8 5.3 12 4.5
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
Knowledge Gained and the Continued Consumption of Kpop Content
Since the consumption of Kpop content can lead to the satisfaction of audience’s
curiosity about the world, the Uses and Gratifications theory suggests that this could form the
audience’s patterns of consumption as their expectations of the media would increase. Out of
all the survey respondents, 70% (see Table 15) said they acquired a lot of new learning about
South Korea. The Uses and Gratifications theory proposes that respondents who learned a lot
would consume more Korean media content in order to acquire information again. Table 16 reflects this theory, as 6 out of 10 (62%) traditional survey respondents said that their new knowledge about South Korea influenced them to consume more Kpop content, while more than a third (36%) thought that it influenced them just a little. Online respondents echoed the same belief, as only a small number (6%) said their knowledge did not influence them to consume more media content at all.
The results prove that the acquisition of new knowledge about South Korean culture affected the respondents’ tendency to consume more of the Kpop media content to further add to their knowledge
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Table 16. If new knowledge influenced respondents to consume more Kpop content
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Response No. % No. % No. % A lot 75 62.5 73 50.0 148 55.6
A little 43 35.8 59 40.4 102 38.4
Not at all 2 1.7 14 9.6 16 6.0
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
Kpop Fans’ Need for Personal Identity
McQuail also cited that the audience repeatedly uses the media to seek for their personal identity.132 This involves “finding reinforcement for personal values” as well as
“personal models of behavior” among the actors portraying characters in the text. McQuail also suggested that upon watching media content, the audience gain insights and personal reflections about themselves.133
Kpop’s Influence on the Respondents’ Identity
In order to understand how the exposure to Korean music influenced the identities of the respondents, the researcher derived the choices in the question based on McQuail’s study.
The audience’s pursuit of their personal identities may result to the formation of their fan identity (as avid supporters of the Korean idols), the changes in their habits and desires as they found “reinforcements for personal values” in the media texts they consumed, and the discovery of their models of behavior.
As a result, Table 17 shows that consumption of Korean music mainly influenced the respondents’ habits and desires. As seen on the table, 82 traditional respondents and 113 62
online respondents said that Kpop influenced their habits and desires. Meanwhile, a significant portion of survey participants (74 traditional respondents and 99 online
participants) also said that Korean music provided them idols to look up to. There was a
minority of respondents comprising of less than half (50 traditional respondents and 74
online participants) the sample of both surveys who said that Kpop helped them realize their fan identity.
The results reveal that very few respondents have not been influenced by Kpop in any aspect of their identity. While the influence of Kpop was primarily on the fans’ habits and desires, there were also significant numbers who have been influenced on their models of behavior and fan identities.
Table 17. Kpop’s influence on respondent’s identity
Traditional Online Influence No. No. It has changed my habits and desires 82 113
It provided me icons/idols to look up to 74 99
It made me realize my own fan identity 50 74
It didn’t influence me at all 4 11
* Multiple Respone N = 120 N = 150
The Fans’ Lifestyle
Since the reinforcement of certain values influenced the choices in life that the
respondents make, it can be noted that there were aspects of the respondents’ lifestyle that
have been impacted by their consumption of Kpop. The researcher derived five aspects (see
Table 18) based on the theory of Uses and Gratifications. 63
In effect, Table 18 shows the overwhelming lead of music choices as the top aspect of the respondents’ lifestyle that has been influenced by Korean music. Nearly all (108) traditional survey respondents chose music choices while a big number of 131 online respondents also chose the same aspect.
Meanwhile, fashion choices and habits also had substantial portions of positive response. More than half (72) of traditional survey respondents were influenced fashion- wise, while 87 online respondents also chose fashion choices. Sixty-one (61) participants of the traditional survey said that their habits were influenced, while 84 online respondents said the same.
The results reveal that predominantly, the respondents’ preference for music have been affected by their consumption of Korean music, since primarily, Kpop is a form of popular music. Significant portions of the respondents were influenced fashion-wise as well as with their habits. Both surveys, however, revealed that the respondents’ beliefs weren’t influenced, which negates their search for the strengthening of their values.
Table 18. Aspects of respondents’ lifestyle influenced by Kpop
Traditional Survey Online Survey Aspects of Lifestyle No. No. Music choices 108 131
Fashion choices 72 87
Habits 61 84
Social life 52 69
Beliefs 23 35
* Multiple Response N = 120 N = 150
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Kpop Fans’ Need for Social Interaction
McQuail mentioned in his study that the audience may utilize the media in order to
gain a sense of belongingness, and in order to do so, they need to interact with people around
them.134 Consuming media texts, such as Korean popular music and videos, encourages
audiences to gain insights on the situations of fellow consumers of the same text. The
researcher attempted to understand how the exposure to Korean pop music helped the
Filipino fans satisfy their needs to interact with their fellow Kpop fans, and whether their
need for social interaction pushed them to join social groups of Korean music fans.
Joining Social Groups
As shown in Table 19, nearly three-fourths (72%) of the traditional survey
respondents have joined or participated in a social group or organization dedicated to Kpop, while only 15% haven’t joined any form of social groupings.
On the other hand, the table also reveals that more than three-fourths (78%) of online respondents have also joined or participated in a social group dedicated to Kpop music and artists. Both traditional and online surveys reveal that 12% of the survey participants were just planning to join in the future.
Media audiences seek a sense of belongingness in order to gain understanding of the situations of fellow fans.135 They also need social interaction in order to connect with their families, friends, and the society. Consuming media texts have the potential to meet these needs for social interaction, and the results of the survey reflect this fact. An overwhelming portion of the respondents were members of Kpop fan groups and organizations, while a few were planning to join in the future. 65
Table 19. If the respondents have joined or participated in a social group/s dedicated to Kpop music and artists
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Response No. % No. % No. % Yes 87 72.5 118 78.7 205 75.9
No 19 15.8 14 9.3 33 12.2
I plan to 14 11.7 18 12.0 32 11.8
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
Fans’ Choice of Social Groups
In addition, Table 20 shows that traditional survey respondents preferred fan clubs
(82 responses) as their top choice of a social group. Fan convention was the second most popular choice of a social group, garnering 72 responses. More than half (67) of the traditional survey respondents preferred online forums, and only 48 opted for fan meets and gatherings.
Contrary to this, 126 online respondents chose online forums as their top choice of a social group. This is due to the fact that in the first place, these respondents were virtual fans who frequented Internet communities and forums. However, large portion (106) of online participants also picked fan clubs, while only a third each preferred fan conventions (57 responses) and fan meets (52 responses).
In total, online forums and fan clubs were the top choices of the respondents. The results can be attributed to the fact that 150 of the 270 respondents were online participants, while all of the 270 respondents identified themselves to be associated with the respective fan clubs of their favorite Korean artists.
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Table 20. Respondents’ Top Choice of Social Groups
Traditional Online Social Group No. No. Online Forums 82 126
Fan clubs 72 106
Conventions 67 57
Fan meets/gatherings 48 52
* Multiple Response N = 120 N = 150
Kpop Fans’ Need for Entertainment
The media exists first and foremost as a medium of entertainment. According to
McQuail, Blumler & Brown,136 it may be used as a diversion from problems and routines.
McQuail also mentioned that the media is utilized for relaxation and aesthetic enjoyment.137
These factors are echoed in the results of the two questions in this section. The researcher
studied how much Korean popular music met the Filipino fans’ needs for entertainment.
South Korea’s Quality of Entertainment
In Table 21, it is clearly shown that Filipino fans thought highly of South Korea’s
entertainment industry. In fact, 4 out of 5 (80%) traditional survey respondents thought that
South Korea’s entertainment had a very high quality. Likewise, 72% of the online
respondents thought the same about Kpop’s quality of entertainment.
Less than a fifth (18%) of traditional survey participants believed there was better
entertainment elsewhere. More online participants echoed the same sentiment, as over one- 67
fourth (27%) said the quality was just right. Only two (2) respondents from both surveys said
that Korean entertainment had an incompetent quality.
Three-fourths of all the participants thought highly of Kpop’s ability to deliver
entertainment to its audience. This finding reveals that exposure to Kpop music and videos
provided the audience with their entertainment needs because of its high-quality and world-
class appeal.
Table 21. Respondents’ opinions on South Korea’s quality of entertainment
Traditional Survey Online Survey Total Response No. % No. % No. % Very High-Quality (World-class) 97 80.8 108 72 205 75.9
Just right (there are better quality elsewhere) 22 18.3 41 27.3 63 23.3
Incompetent 1 0.9 1 0.7 2 0.74
TOTAL 120 100.0 150 100.0 270 100.0
Most Entertaining Aspects of Kpop
The respondents were also asked which aspects of Kpop appealed the most to their entertainment needs. In Table 22, the traditional survey respondents’ top choice as the most appealing aspect was the music video (98 responses) while online respondents preferred the artists’ talent (133 responses) the most.
The table also shows that 127 online participants said that music video appealed to
them as well. Meanwhile, music elements such as beat and melody each received large
portions of responses. In particular, 89 traditional respondents and 129 online participants 68
chose the melody, while the music’s beat received 91 responses from the traditional survey and 121 responses from the online survey.
All the entertainment aspects of Kpop in the choices received particularly significant portions of responses, with the highest number of responses received by music videos and song melody. The choices’ well-representation of frequency distribution reveals that the
respondents found all aspects of Korean music and videos to be entertaining.
Table 22. Most Entertaining Aspects of Kpop
Traditional Survey Online Survey Aspects of Kpop No. No. Music Video 98 127
Melody 89 129
Artists’ Talent 81 133
Beat 91 121
Concept 81 114
Artists 62 125
Lyrics 73 98
Genre 68 90
* Multiple Response N = 120 N = 150
Focus Interview Results
The focus interviews with the Kpop fans represent the qualitative part of this study.
Like in the survey, three variables were studied including the Kpop consumption of the
Filipino fans, cultural offerings of Korean media content, as well as the needs of the Filipino
fans satisfied by consuming Kpop content. 69
After conducting the traditional survey, the researcher chose six interviewees from the 120 respondents. The selected participants came from the six Kpop fan clubs, namely
Girls’ Generation PH, Super Junior PH, Kiss Me PH, Triple S Philippines, and Shinee World
Philippines.
The interviews were conducted in an informal but structured manner. These were
held on December 11, 2010 at the Via Mare area of the Philippine International Convention
Center (PICC) Tent in Pasay City. This was the same day as the Philippine Kpop
Convention, and all the participants were attendees of the said event. After answering the
traditional surveys in the morning of the event (around 10:00 am), the researcher chose the
six interviewees and scheduled them for an interview that same afternoon.
The Interviewees
The interviewees’ age ranged from 16-19 years old, and of the six participants, four
(4) were females and two (2) were males. All interviewees were fans of a Kpop group, and
they acknowledged themselves to be affiliated with the fan clubs of their supported group.
The following are the names, age, and the fan clubs of the interviewees:
1. Double X, 16 – Girls’ Generation PH
2. Bryan, 19 – Girls’ Generation PH
3. Winnie, 17 – Triple S Philippines
4. Ayesha, 18 – Super Junior PH
5. Margaret, 18 – Shinee World Philippines
6. Wendy, 19 – Kiss Me PH 70
The male interviewees (Double X and Bryan) were both fans of the Korean nine- member girl group Girls’ Generation. The two of them actively participated in gatherings and events dedicated to Kpop, such as the Philippine Kpop Convention at the PICC Tent, and
Kpop Nation in SM Megamall. While Double X often lauded the members of Girls’
Generation’s physical appearance and admitted to liking them because of their looks, Bryan, on the other hand, said that he was mainly attracted to the members’ dancing abilities and choreography. The male interviewees’ age also differed. Double X was 16, while Bryan was
19. However, both of them started to be Korean music fans at a young age. Double X was a relatively new Kpop fan who had been a fan for only eight months while Bryan had been following Korean music industry since he was 17.
On the other hand, the female interviewees were composed of a fan each of the male groups Super Junior, Shinee, U-Kiss, and SS501. All of them were active participants of various Kpop conventions and gatherings since they became fans of their supported groups.
Two of them (Wendy and Winnie) have been fans for less than a year and they admitted to joining the bandwagon mania for Kpop during the first part of 2010. On the other hand, the other two (Ayesha and Margaret) have been fans for four years and two years, respectively.
They told of their own self-discovery of Kpop artists through the Korean cable channel
Arirang and Internet video sites like Youtube. All the female interviewees mentioned the catchiness of the music, the charms, and talents of the artists to be contributing factors to their appreciation of the foreign music.
Both the male and female interviewees were akin in their initial reasons for liking
Kpop. They all mentioned the good looks of the Korean stars as well as their talents. Also, the six of them were very active fans, proven by their complete attendance in all big scale 71 events for Kpop. However, the respondents differed in the groups they supported, and the various ways in which they showed their support (which will be further discussed later in this chapter).
Consumption of Kpop Content
This section discusses the interviewees’ patterns of consumption. In order to understand these patterns, the researcher used indicators such as frequency and ways of consuming Kpop content. In determining the frequency of their consumption, the interviewees were asked about the number of times they listened to or watched Kpop music and videos weekly. Also, the different ways they consumed these media texts were also determined. These indicators reflected the interviewees’ level of exposure to Kpop.
Frequency of Consuming Kpop Music and Videos
When asked about their frequency of consuming Korean music and videos, all the interviewees answered “everyday” or “always.” Everyone mentioned about consuming Kpop during their free time, or any possible time, using their portable music players and laptops.
Each of the interviewee provided different situations in which they consumed Korean music and videos. Almost all of them listened to Kpop songs during their travel time. Half (3) of them also listened to Korean music before and while doing their school works while another three (3) of them still listened to Kpop songs or watch Kpop videos before they sleep at night. These various situations reflect the regularity of their consumption as proven by the variety of daily activities such as commuting and studying, during which they listened to
Korean songs. Their consumption also had a schedule as it was scattered throughout the day, 72
from the moment they wake up, to the time they travel to school, up to the time they go
home, do their home works and sleep. In these activities, listening to or watching Korean
music and videos were inserted in all possible times.
Ways of Consuming Kpop Music and Videos
The interviewees have found various ways of consuming Kpop music and videos.
Mass media such as the television and the Internet both offer Kpop content, but these media differed in the amount of content they provide. For instance, free television channels like
ABS-CBN and GMA have little or no airtime for Korean music and videos, and this is why few of the interviewees patronized the said medium in consuming Kpop. Meanwhile, pay cable channels such as Arirang and KBS World have relatively more content available on scheduled air dates. However, most content are also available online in free media-hosting sites like YouTube and MediaFire. There are many Internet users worldwide who upload videos, songs, and other media content in the said media-hosting sites, which in turn become available for free to anyone who wishes to access the links. Aside from user-uploaded content, Korean entertainment companies such as SM Entertainment,138 YG Entertainment139
and JYP Entertainment140 have official Youtube sites where they upload official music videos and clips for the international fans of their artists. Since Kpop content is proliferated in the World Wide Web, the interviewees patronized the Internet more than television.
Kpop in Free TV
Since Kpop has already penetrated mainstream media, it’s not any more surprising to hear Korean songs playing in UHF channels like ABS-CBN, GMA, and TV5. In fact, Korean 73
music can be frequently heard in popular shows like ABS-CBN’s Showtime, GMA’s Party
Pilipinas and TV5’s POV. Korean artists have given exclusive interviews and performances in these channels. TV5 promoted Korean male singer Rain during his Intensity concert last
September 11, 2010 and even provided the audience with an exclusive coverage of the event.141 In addition, GMA has constantly been the media partner for U-Kiss’ three
consecutive visits in Manila.142
However, it is still a fact that Kpop content only gets limited airtime in free television. UHF channels provide Kpop content once or twice a week, or on special occasions, especially when certain Kpop acts visit the country. In fact, only one interviewee cited television as a medium that contributed to her consumption. The rest of the interviewees said they did not get any Kpop content from UHF channels at all. Winnie, on the other hand, mentioned that channels like ABS-CBN provided her with good Korean content such as Korean dramas with Kpop artists, and more specifically, the coverage of
SS501’s arrival and stay in Manila.143 Bryan mentioned using these free channels as venue for news updates on events, conventions and concerts, as these happenings usually get advertisements on free channels.
While free television provides the Filipino audience its limited share of Kpop airtime, the interviewees’ opinion on Kpop’s exposure on Philippine TV was mixed. For instance,
Ayesha didn’t like the fact that the big networks allot broadcast time for Kpop artists, especially since producers were prone to errors on presenting information about Kpop.
According to her, “…mali iyong information na nilalagay nila… supposed to be, magtanong
sila sa mga Kpop fan kasi alam na alam nila yun.144 […they broadcast the wrong information… They should ask Kpop fans because they would know.] 74
The incident that pissed off Ayesha, and many other Filipino Kpop fans, referred to the June 13, 2010 episode of GMA-7’s Showbiz Central.145 The said show aired a U-Kiss special, but mistakenly showed a wrong picture of one U-Kiss member. This enraged many
Filipino fans because of the apparent lack of research by the segment producers. But while
Ayesha was against the mainstream broadcast of Korean music and artists, the male interviewees had positive things to say about this. Double X said, “Sign lang iyon ng pagkasikat nila, ganoon talaga kapag sikat ang artist.”146 [It’s just a sign of their popularity.
It’s really like that if the artist is popular.] In the same note, Bryan said it made him happy
because mainstream broadcast meant he could see more of his favorite Kpop stars. But
amidst their pride in the occasional mass exposure of their favorite Kpop stars, free television
remains to be the lesser generous medium when it comes to delivering Kpop content.
Kpop in Cable TV
While UHF-channels did not provide the interviewees with enough Kpop content,
Cable TV delivers Kpop music and videos on scheduled airtimes. Most of the interviewees
have watched a lot of Kpop music videos and songs on cable channels such as MYX, Arirang
and KBS World. Almost all of them, with the exception of Margaret, regularly watched MYX
music channel to see if Kpop music videos have entered the MYX Daily Top 10 and MYX
International Top 20. MYX also has a weekly show (Pop Myx Kpop Edition) which airs five
to six Korean music videos per episode. Both Ayesha and Bryan said they tuned in to KBS
World, an all-Korean channel with English subtitles. The said channel has a weekly music
program called Music Bank which airs on Friday nights, and is a staple in the viewing
consumption of many Kpop fans including the interviewees. In addition, Bryan also regularly 75
surfed channel V for Korean music videos. Arirang TV was of big help for Ayesha and
Winnie as the said channel provided them Korean content with English subtitles, and has a
music program (Pops in Seoul) and an entertainment news program (Showbiz Extra!).
Kpop and the Internet
While most of the interviewees got a respected share of Kpop content in cable channels, the Internet remains to be the easiest, fastest and most practical source of Kpop music and videos for them. All of them said that the Internet played a big role in their Kpop fanship as it facilitated and sustained their fandom. In fact, Bryan said that the web was the start of his addiction to Korean music and artists. He shared that even before Kpop became popular in the country, he was already a fan of the Korean girl-group Wonder Girls because he discovered them through the Internet. Aside from the fact that most of them discovered
Kpop through the World Wide Web, the Internet is first and foremost the most crucial and most generous medium in accessing Korean music and videos.
Double X regularly downloaded the performance videos of Girls’ Generation in the fan site soshified.com.147 Even Bryan always updated himself with the latest performance videos of the said group. Margaret said she used the Internet as a source for video cuts of interviews and variety shows featuring her favorite artists. Similarly, Wendy often downloaded images and videos of the Kpop stars while Ayesha used media-hosting sites like
Youtube and 4shared in downloading videos and songs.
Aside from being the main source of media content such as videos, songs, and images, the Internet also served as a tool for news and updates. Double X cited the news sites allkpop148 and dailykpop149 as the top sites for news feeds, while Bryan and Ayesha also 76
credited allkpop as their main source of the latest news. Bryan also mentioned being on alert
for the latest releases. According to him: “Minsan inaabangan ko pa kahit madaling-araw.
Kapag nalaman ko na lalabas kinakabukasan, alas dose pa lang gising na ako.”150
[Sometimes, I wait even at dawn. Once I learn that it will come out tomorrow, I wake up at
12 midnight.] In addition, Ayesha also mentioned that the micro-blogging site Twitter served as another venue for her to immediately see latest news feeds and posts of his favorite idols who have their own Twitter accounts.
The Internet also functioned as a venue for the Kpop fans’ socialization. Margaret said, “I can reach out to the Kpop world using the Net.”151 There are various Internet
communities dedicated to Kpop existing all over the World Wide Web, and the most popular
of these communities are fan forums exclusive to one Korean artist. Currently, the biggest
international Kpop forum in the Internet is soshified.com, a community for Girls’ Generation fans. This forum has over 154,557 registered members (as of March 14, 2011).152 The male
interviewees Double X and Bryan mentioned soshified.com as the main forum they visited
regularly, both for downloads and socialization with other fans. Ayesha named Shinee SFI
(Shine Fans International)153 and SJ World (Super Junior World),154 the biggest forums for
Korean groups Shinee and Super Junior, respectively, as the main sites she visited. She added
that Internet communities enabled her to talk to the international fans and share experiences
with them. On the other hand, Winnie and Wendy were active members of the Philippine-
based forums Triple S Philippines155 and ukissme Philippines,156 respectively.
77
Other Ways of Consuming Kpop Content
Aside from watching television and downloading from the Internet, the interviewees also found other access to Korean music videos and songs. For instance, Bryan said he sometimes looked for people who were more knowledgeable than him about Kpop in order to become more informed on issues and news. Similarly, Winnie also asked her friends for content she might not have yet. Some of the interviewees chose to channel their Kpop fandom through their talents and skills. Wendy frequently tried to learn the choreography of her favorite songs. Margaret, who hadn’t realized before that she could dance, started to learn
Korean dance steps. On the other hand, Ayesha read and wrote fan fiction featuring her
favorite Korean artists. However, channeling their fanship through their talents and skills is
unique to each fan, and therefore isn’t entirely representative of the entire Filipino Kpop fans.
Attending fan events and conventions is a common link between the interviewees, as
evident by the fact that all of them were attendees of the 2010 Philippine Kpop Convention.
According to them, conventions allowed them to socialize with Kpop fans and witness
performances of Kpop songs and dances. Another means of consumption is to purchase
merchandises on offline stores such as independent sellers and record stores. All of the
interviewees said that they have purchased original merchandises more than once. Wendy
regularly bought the albums of U-Kiss available in the Philippine market. Ayesha also
purchased Super Junior albums both offline and online. Both the male interviewees (Double
X and Bryan) purchased not just CDs and DVDs, but also posters, photobooks, and clothings.
Double X even said that his parents often reprimanded him for spending thousands of pesos
for his fandom. It is evident that the interviewees did not just depend on free content on cable
television and the Internet, but also spent money in purchasing original products. 78
Cultural Offerings of Kpop Content
Korean music and videos have various cultural offerings embedded in the text, and
this study tried to determine whether or not the Filipino teens can identify with these cultural elements. In keeping with the Cultural Proximity Theory, the researcher used the four basic cultural offerings (language, visuals, cultural capital, story)157 present in all media texts, such
as Kpop songs and videos, in understanding the Filipino fans’ appreciation of the said media
content.
Language used in Korean music and videos
Some of the interviewees found the Korean language interesting. According to
Ayesha and Margaret, the said language appealed to them while Winnie described the
Korean language as “cute”.158 As a result of the Korean language’s appeal, many of the interviewees were already learning to read, write, and speak the language. Wendy, in particular, was serious in her Korean lessons. She already bought books and started to study by herself. She shared, “…gusto ko kasi talaga maintindihan kapag nanonood ako ng mga videos para kahit walang subtitles, maiintindihan ko iyong mga sinasabi nila.”159 [I really
want to understand when I watch videos so that even without subtitles, I can comprehend
what they are talking about.]
But if Wendy wanted to understand the language itself, the other interviewees relied
on outside help in understanding the content. For instance, Double X said that Kpop fans
already got the drill of watching subtitled videos or translations. On the other hand, Bryan
has Korean friends who helped him in understanding the language of Korean artists. 79
But Ayesha’s powerful words seemingly summarized what most Filipino Kpop fans thought. According to her, “…there is no language in music. It’s a universal language.”160
This statement is actually a popular notion in the Kpop community, both online and among
the local fan communities. Margaret supported Ayesha’s statement and said that fans found
understanding through the melodies and harmonies of the music. All the interviewees agreed
with this saying, and believed that the language barrier was the least of their priorities,
especially since Korean music has so much to offer. Double X mentioned that Kpop music
has inherent catchy quality that made him dance to the music, even if they did not understand
it. Bryan agreed and added that Koreans produce high-quality music and videos. Even
Wendy said that though she didn’t understand the language, she could feel the meaning of
songs. Ayesha also looked for the song lyrics and meanings in order to decide whether or not
a song is likeable. She also considered the song’s rhythm and the performances of the artists.
These acts prove that the interviewees overlooked the aspect of the language barrier, and in
fact learned to understand the language, or found a way to comprehend the foreign content.
Also, all the interviewees looked for other aspects other than the language, such as song
quality, in order to truly appreciate the content.
Visual Aspects of Kpop
This section contains the discussion on the visual elements of Kpop that Filipino fans
identified with. These visual elements are the most visible cultural offerings in Korean media
content because these are seen through the physical appearance of the artists, as well as the
production quality of the music videos. The interviewees initially saw these cultural aspects 80
on their first exposure to Kpop, and the visual aspects may have influenced their decision to consume more of the same media content.
Physical Appearance of the Artists
Aside from the argument that music is a universal language, the physical appearance
of the Korean artists was also a major factor that contributed to the interviewees’
appreciation of Kpop. Double X literally said he “fell in love”161 with the members of Girls’
Generation because of their natural beauty. Bryan identified the Korean girls’ beauty, height, and complexion as added factors to his appreciation of their music and videos. Meanwhile,
Ayesha commented that the Korean males’ youthful looks fit her preference. Winnie also acknowledged that he first fell in love with SS501’s Kim Hyun Joong because of his good looks in the drama Boys Over Flowers. But amidst the good looks of the artists, the interviewees believed that their appreciation and support for their Korean idols has gone beyond the physical appearance of the Korean stars. All the interviewees mentioned music, personality, and talent as other contributing factors to their appreciation.
Production Quality of Music Videos
Aside from the physical appearance of the artists, another visual aspect of Kpop is the production quality of the music videos. All the interviewees believed that Korean music videos were conceptualized and produced very well. They all mentioned about the high quality of the productions, which was very much evident in the finished products. Margaret said, “Pinaggagastusan talaga nila… talagang sobrang bigay na bigay ang mga budget nila”162 [They really spend a lot…. they really give it all on their budget.] Ayesha also 81
couldn’t get over the marvel of Korean music video budgets. She said, “…binibigyan talaga
nila ng panahon ‘tsaka time ang damit, ang outfits, talagang pinagkakagastusan.163 […they
really give time on the clothes, the outfit, they really spend well.]
As a result of these big budgets and good concepts, the interviewees believed that
Kpop music videos were worth the wait. Double X shared, “…every music video, talagang aabangan mo kasi… sa teaser pa lang magandahan ka na.”164 […you really look forward to every music video because even the teaser is already beautiful.]
In Margaret’s opinion, Korean producers aim for global music that’s why they put so much effort in producing Kpop content. She added that the choreography, fashion and style of the artists all gave Korean music videos a distinctive style. Specifically, the dance and choreography increased the interest and admiration of the interviewees. Most of them praised the uniqueness of Kpop dances, and the meanings behind the choreography. Bryan commented that Kpop choreography was “the best”165 and it gave the artists a better appearance in their music videos and performances. He also lauded Kpop choreography’s ability to make all the group members shine.
In addition, the fans mentioned about the good editing and cinematography of the
videos, as well as the unique and experimental fashion and hairstyle of the artists, that
altogether contributed to the eye-catching and high-quality Kpop music videos.
Cultural Capitals of South Korea
Another cultural offering of Korean music and videos are the cultural capitals
contained in the media texts. These include traditions, practices, customs, and beliefs that are
essentially Korean. As these types of messages are highly-cultural, these may not be fully 82
understood by foreign audiences, including the Filipino fans. However, these types of content
are often embedded in many Korean videos and clips that Kpop fans watch.
For example, all the variety shows starring Korean idols often exhibit practices that
are exclusively Korean, such as bowing to others as a sign of respect, the popularity of sauna
rooms in place of motels or hotels, the use of heated floor-matts as opposed to traditional
beds, and the like. Aside from these practices, there are also jokes, idioms and beliefs that are
often mentioned in many Korean shows.
When watching Korean shows containing traditions, practices, jokes or idioms, some
of the interviewees said they disregarded unfamiliar messages and did not bother to learn
them at all. Margaret, in contrast, tried to comprehend the messages in context with the
contents she fully understood. The other interviewees took the effort to ask people who might
understand the message. For instance, Bryan said he called his Korean friends whenever he
came across unfamiliar content. Similarly, Ayesha sometimes found help on international
fans who might explain the idioms on Twitter and other international fan communities. The
easier route for some of them would be watching videos with subtitles and embedded
explanations provided by online forums such as soshified.com and SJ-World. These fan sites provide the international fans with very informative explanations of the Korean traditions, customs and practices. This way, not only do the foreign viewers fully comprehend the video; they also learn about the South Korean culture.
South Korean Entertainment Industry’s Practice of Training Talents
It has been a custom in South Korea that entertainment companies house talents and train them for long periods of time.166 For instance, some members of the groups Girls’ 83
Generation and Super Junior have trained for as long as seven years before debuting. It’s one of the unique characteristics of the Korean music industry, and is a fact well-known among
Kpop fans.
The interviewees believed that this practice is commendable as the training produced high-quality entertainment. For Double X, the training was evident on the talents of the artists. Bryan also said that the product of training Korean artists is great. He explained that the long process of training is evident in the presentation and live performances of the artists.
Most of the interviewees agreed that Korean artists are polished in many aspects. For instance, they said that the dances are in-sync and crisp, and the live singing is effortless with less heavy breathing. Winnie and Wendy also believed that Kpop artists are multi-talented as many of them could act, dance and sing at the same time.
Aside from the polished talents and performances of the artists, the interviewees commended the hard work and determination of the Korean singers, especially those who trained for years. Double X said, “Siguro pinaghirapan talaga nila kung nasan sila ngayon.”167 [Maybe they really deserve where they are now.] Although for Margaret, the
long trainings were harsh and difficult for her idols. “…maaawa ka sa idols, kasi nakikita mo… umiiyak talaga sila kapag nananalo sila.”168 […you can pity the idols, because you really see how they cry whenever they win.] But even so, the interviewees still believed that the training is crucial to the success and high quality of the Korean music industry.
Because of the evident good results of South Korea’s training system, most of the interviewees said that a similar system should be implemented in the Philippines in order to improve the local music industry. According to Margaret, it’s easy to be a star in the
Philippines, and the instant success is a sign of devaluing the entertainment industry. She 84
suggested that a year or two of training wouldn’t hurt and might even be beneficial for the
Filipino talents. Many of the interviewees echoed the same sentiments. Wendy and Double X
condoned the instant stardom of many Filipino hopefuls, especially those who joined television contests. Double X didn’t like the fact the Filipinos imitate others, including Kpop.
Because of this, the interviewees thought that the training of talents would be the key to a better entertainment industry. However, Ayesha thought otherwise, as she believed that the
Filipinos’ different values and morals as compared to the Koreans would result to the failure of the training system. She explained that Filipinos wouldn’t stand the long years of training.
According to her, “Conservative nga tayo pero I think, hindi ganoong ka-desperate. Ang
funds, talagang wala tayo.”169 [We’re conservative, but I don’t think we’re that desperate.
And we really don’t have the funds.] But in spite of Ayesha’s doubts, all the other interviewees thought that a training system would be the answer to the country’s low-quality entertainment.
Stories of Korean Music Videos
More familiar content than traditions and customs are the themes and values contained in the messages of the Korean songs and videos. Themes refer to a unified subject encompassing the overall text, such as love, hatred, friendship, family etc. Meanwhile, values
refer to a set of ideologies such as respect for others, love of country, and the like. These
cultural offerings are present in all kinds of media text, and oftentimes, the audience can
identify these elements although they don’t necessarily relate with them.
85
Values Present in Korean Media Content
The interviewees enumerated different themes and values embedded in Kpop texts that
appealed to them. Although numerous answers came out, one of the common values
mentioned included the Korean people’s respect for elders and close family ties. Winnie
elaborated:
“Ang galang kasi nila sa mga matatanda. Mapapansin mo ang pagsasalita nila… iba ang gamit nila kapag nagsasalita sa matatanda at sa mga kasing-edad nila.”170 [They’re really respectful to the elders. You can notice it in the way they speak. They use different words when they talk to elders and to people of the same age.]
Margaret also explained the close ties of Korean families. She said that she could relate well to the content regarding families. In one show she watched, the program helped the idols to reach out to their parents. After watching the show, Margaret was touched and wanted to reach out to her own parents as well. She added that such content added to her “self- reflection.”171
Aside from the high regard of family and the elders, Bryan added that he appreciated the conservatism of the Koreans, and their ability to always incorporate their culture in all the content of their music and video. Stewardship and hard work were also mentioned in the course of the discussion. According to Margaret, the Korean people’s ability to help each other was something she wanted to emulate. Wendy, on the other hand, picked up morals and lessons from some Korean shows, especially those that presented the real life of the artists such as behind-the-scene videos of their concerts. She explained that the way Korean idols helped one another and worked hard behind the cameras appealed to her. In addition to this,
Winnie also liked the affection of the group members towards each other. For instance, she mentioned how she appreciated the fact that her favorite group SS501’s leader Kim Hyun 86
Joong was never embarrassed to hug the members. ” Ang sweet nila sa isa’t isa. Kahit na isipin ng ibang tao na bakla sila… ayos lang sa kanila.”172 [They’re sweet to each other.
Even if other people think they’re gay… it’s alright with them.]
Meanings of the Korean Songs
The lyrics of Korean songs also contain themes and values that the listeners can identify with. All the respondents said that they researched about the meaning of the Korean songs, and some even said that the meanings helped them to appreciate the music more.
Bryan said that the songs with stories excited him. Wendy attested to this and said that some
Korean songs contained not just stories but values as well. Most of the interviewees gave specific examples of song lyrics. For example, Margaret explained how she could relate well with the lyrics of girl group miss A’s song Bad Girl, Good Girl.173 The song talks about a girl who is misunderstood, and is asking a man to go beyond what people perceive of her. She expounded: “…other people don’t know who I really am… naju-judge ako.”174 [Other people don’t know who I really am. So I am judged.] This is the precise reason why she liked the song more after learning about its meaning.
Another example would be SS501’s song Grean Peas.175 According to the group, the said song is a dedication to all the loyal fans who stuck with them through the good times and the bad. Winnie was particularly touched by this song, as she felt elated since the group made a huge gesture to send a thank-you message to the fans. She said: “Nakakatuwa kasi gumawa pa sila ng kanta para sa mga fans nila. Na-appreciate talaga nila ang effort ng mga fans nila.” 176 [It’s elating because they made a song for their fans. They really appreciate the effort of their fans.] 87
On the other hand, Ayesha shared about the development of the group Shinee’s lyrics
over the years. According to her, when Shinee debuted in 2008, their lyrics leaned more
towards one-sided love, boy-liking-girl stories, and the challenges of chasing after a girl.
However, Ayesha added that recently, Shinee fans were shocked about Shinee’s latest song
lyrics as some contained mature lyrics. Ayesha exclaimed: “… are they talking about doing
‘it’?” 177 Ayesha was referring to Shinee’s song Get It which contains a subliminal message of going physical with a woman.178
The song meanings as well as the themes and values contained in the media text all played a role in the appreciation of the interviewees. Upon finding familiar content that they could identify with, all the interviewees became more attracted to Korean music and videos.
Needs of the Fans Satisfied by Consuming Kpop Contents
This research also explored how consuming Korean music and videos satisfied the
different needs of the Filipino fans. The study probed on the four types of needs cited by the
Uses and Gratifications Theory, namely information, personal identity, social interaction,
and entertainment. The interviewees were asked how their consumption of Kpop content met
the desire to satisfy a certain need.
Kpop Fans’ Need for Information
As mentioned earlier, the interviewees were interested in the culture of South Korea.
They specifically mentioned the new knowledge about the Korean culture which they have
gained through watching Korean videos. Winnie said that most of the time, variety shows
exhibited the different traditions and values of South Korea. In detail, Bryan explained about 88
how he learned that South Koreans were respectful of and obedient to their elders. He further
explained, “… madali agad silang sumusunod, hindi sila nagdadahilan. Basta gagawin nila
agad iyong tama.” 179 […they immediately obey without reasons. They would just do the right thing.] Furthermore, Ayesha shared about the Confucianism of the Koreans, and how
Kpop videos paved way on how foreigners will view South Korea and its people. However,
Ayesha also learned about the negative side of the country, specifically the netizens (Internet citizens). She realized how harsh the Korean netizens could get, and how issues involving them sometimes led to the suicide of the Korean artists.180
Since they have learned a lot about South Koreans, three of the interviewees said they
felt more motivated to consume more Kpop content because of the new knowledge they gain.
Bryan said that his curiosity for many things fueled his consumption. Similarly, both Winnie
and Wendy were motivated by the knowledge since they found the Korean culture
interesting. However, Ayesha said that the knowledge wasn’t her main motivator, but the
quality of the songs. Based on the answers of the interviewees, they patronized Korean artists
and media texts not primarily because of the information, but because of the entertainment
they got. Therefore, the new knowledge came just as a bonus to the package, and was not the
element mainly sought for in consuming Korean music and videos.
Kpop Fans’ Need for Personal Identity
Not only did exposure to Kpop contributed to the knowledge of the respondents about
the South Korean culture, it also brought about some changes in their identities because of
their newfound discovery about their selves, as well as the changes in their attitudes. Some
fans also came to a point of finding idols they looked up to and wanted to emulate. Their 89
lifestyle was also influenced because of the change in their preference and habits. The
researcher probed on the role that Kpop exposure played on these changes.
Newfound Fan Identity
All of the interviewees found something new about their personalities, while some
came to the point of discovering about their fan identity. To put in Double X’s words:
“…lumabas iyong pagkatao ko.” 181 […my personality came out.] It was clear from all the
interviewees’ response that it was a novelty for them to discover their “fanatic” and
“obsessed” sides. Most of them were surprised at the extent of their fanaticism for the Kpop idols. Bryan said, “Sobrang fanatic pala ako kapag naging fanatic ko.” 182 [I learned that I am super fanatic when I become fanatic.] On the other hand, Double X, Wendy and Winnie commented on how “crazy,” “obsessed,” and “addicted” they became after discovering these
Kpop idols. In fact, Ayesha discovered that she could actually “scream” for idols. She explained that on ordinary days, she was not the type to scream in delight because of her boyishness. However, since she became a fan, screaming of delight and kilig were already common for her.
The interviewees further explained their leveled-up fanaticism. Double X recognized
Kpop’s impact on his life. He said that many changes came to his life after he became a
Girls’ Generation fan. He said his parents wanted to “kill” him for spending thousands of pesos just to buy merchandises and attend certain events. He continued, “…lagi na akong nagko-computer, sumasali sa mga ganito (conventions), gumagastos na ako ng libu-libo sa isang event.” 183 […I always use the computer, participate in conventions, spend thousands
on one event.] 90
When he started following Korean artists, Bryan, like Double X, also chose to show his support by purchasing the albums of the artists. He expounded: “First time ko maging fan ng mga Kpop artists… I support them by buying their albums online…. pinapalawak ko iyong influence nila… para mas marami ring maging fans.” 184 [It’s my first time to be a fan
of Kpop artists… I support them by buying their albums online… I widen their influence so
that they’ll have more fans here.”] Just like Double X and Bryan, the other interviewees also
purchased merchandises of the Korean artists. They saved their allowances to buy products.
For instance, the Philippine Kpop convention that they all attended had various merchandises
like t-shirts, pens, posters, etc. Wendy even said that she intentionally missed classes just to
attend the convention. As for Winnie, she surprised herself by buying even the most trivial
things. She explained, “Kaya ko pala na gumastos ng ganito para lang sa kanila. Kahit wala
sila dito, kahit hindi ko sila makita… Adik pala ako sa kanila.” 185 [I learned that I can spend
this much just for them. Even if they’re not here, even though I don’t get to see them… I’m
really addicted to them.] She also said that even the simplest video of her favorite group
would bring her happiness and put a smile on her face. She went on to explain how she came
to the point that instead of going out to enjoy outside with friends, she’d rather stay home to
watch the videos or listen to Korean songs because it made her happier.
On the other hand, while the other interviewees discovered their inner fan identities,
Margaret discovered her hidden confidence. Since many Kpop songs are catchy and
danceable, she found herself with confidence to actually dance to the music. She said, “Hindi
ko akalain na when I want to, I can have the self-confidence.” 186
91
Discovery of Personal Icons/Idols
While Kpop made the Filipino fans discover their inner fanaticism, it also provided
them with icons and idols to look up to. The interviewees specifically mentioned Korean artists they idolized because of their certain qualities and personalities. These artists gave the interviewees inspirations and motivation for self-reflection.
To specify, Bryan confidently answered that he idolized the girl-group Kara because
of the dynamics between the members. According to him, he liked the equality and family
atmosphere between the members. Meanwhile, Margaret specifically mentioned the boy
group Dong Bang Shin Ki (DBSK) mainly for their determination and success in penetrating
the Japanese market. After achieving huge success in their homeland South Korea, DBSK
flew to Japan and started from scratch in penetrating the Japanese market. They fought
through the cultural and language barrier and eventually became successful as well. Margaret
said she looked up to the determination and confidence of the group to succeed through the
difficulties. This served as an inspiration for her to study well to make her parents proud.
On the other hand, Wendy cited two U-Kiss members Alex and Dongho as her idols.
She explained that Alex’s friendliness and closeness to the fans and Dongho’s humility to his
fans were two things she looked up to. As for Ayesha, she idolized the U-kiss member Eli
because of his ability in the martial arts and multiple talents. Lastly, Winnie mentioned the
sweetness and expressiveness of SS501’s leader Kim Hyun Joong as something she found
incredibly endearing.
Most of the interviewees found the presence of their idols as a motivator to continue
consuming more Kpop content. Since Wendy idolized U-Kiss members because of their
closeness to their fans, Wendy felt that the artists valued them, thus she wanted to support 92
them more. Margaret even said that the personality of her idols was something she wanted to emulate. She added that whenever she saw the attitude of the idols especially in their reality shows, she became inspired to be like them in terms of loving their jobs as well as their parents. In connection to this, Winnie also repeatedly watched more Kpop videos because she wanted to see more of her idols’ personalities and reactions.
Kpop Fans’ Need for Social Interaction
Becoming a Kpop fan not only has impact on the fans, but on the people around them as well. They can either be understood or misinterpreted because of their novel interest for foreign media content. This was the reason why the researcher asked the interviewees about the impact of their Kpop interest on their relationships with their families and friends. Most of them said that at first, their immediate friends and families found their interest strange, especially considering the language barrier. As time passed by, their friends and families eventually learned to accept their fandom. However, many of the interviewees said that their parents reprimanded them for the time and money they invested in consuming and buying
Kpop media content. On the other hand, some of the respondents’ friends have been influenced by their interest in Kpop and have become fans themselves. They have also found ways of obtaining new social interaction, this time with people with the same interest.
There are various groups and organizations dedicated to Kpop and Kpop artists that have already been established in the Philippines. However, there are also groups that solely exist online through Internet communities and fan sites. Most of the interviewees were members of the said organizations. According to them, they joined such groups because of the needed to meet up and interact with people who completely understood their attraction to 93
Korean music and artists. Aside from this, nearly all of them said that such interaction with
fellow Kpop fans allowed them to obtain news, updates, and new information about their
favorite artists and Kpop-related events. As a result, these new forms of social interaction and
the new people they met through Kpop somehow motivated most of the interviewees to
continually consume more Kpop content, and they even practiced certain ways of consuming
Kpop such as attending fan conventions, gatherings or other events.
Kpop Fans’ Need for Entertainment
First and foremost, Kpop music and videos are media texts that aim to provide entertainment to the people. It’s fairly observable that many Filipinos got hooked in Kpop because it provided them the kind of entertainment they need. All the interviewees admitted to being entertained well by the Korean artists. In fact, they said that the South Korean music industry was of high quality and was globally competitive. One of the reasons they attributed to this high quality was the apparent good planning and execution of the song and music video productions. Ayesha even pointed out: “… alam nila kung paano mag-entertain. Kaya nga meron tayong term na Hallyu Wave, or Korean wave.”187 [They really know how to entertain. That’s why we have a term called Korean Wave.] Hallyu, of course, refers to the phenomenon of Korean entertainment industry’s rise as an epicenter of pop culture in
Asia.188 The interviewees also attributed the talents of the artists as a huge contribution to the
good quality of Kpop content.
The interviewees enumerated the different aspects of Korean music, videos and artists
that specifically appealed to their entertainment needs, such as the music video concept,
choreography, fashion and style of artists, and the like. When asked which of these aspects 94
appealed the most to them, many of the intervieweess exclaimed “many” or “all,” proving
that they found Kpop a complete package of entertainment. They also pointed out that the
beat and melody of the music were two of the most entertaining aspects of Kpop. In
describing the choreography and dance of the songs and artists, many of the interviewees
exclaimed that it was “the best” while many also praised the fashion and style of the artists.
As a result of these aspects that appealed to the interviewees’ entertainment needs, they said that they would continue consuming Korean music and videos because Kpop entertained them. Some of them said that as long as Kpop continues to produce good music and videos, they would also continue patronizing their products. Margaret acknowledged
Kpop’s addictive quality that made the fans want to “know more, hear more, dance more.”
189 The addictive melody, lyrics, and choreography were some aspects that they said they
would pay close attention to.
It is apparent that consuming Korean music and videos greatly satisfied the
entertainment needs of the interviewees, and was therefore very effective in meeting this
certain need. While other types of needs were somehow satisfied because it came as a bonus
in the package (such as new knowledge about South Korea, as well as meeting new friends),
the entertainment aspect was first and foremost the main character of Korean music’s appeal
to the interviewees.
Synthesis of the Results
This the third part of Chapter 5. The results of the two surveys (traditional and online)
and the focus interviews were synthesized to facilitate easy understanding of the analysis. In
order to understand the Filipino teens as media consumers of Korean music and videos, the 95
researcher conducted surveys and focus interviews among the fans to probe deeper on the
phenomenon. Three variables were studied: Filipino fans’ consumption Kpop music and
videos (measured by their frequency of consumption, as well as their different ways of
consuming Korean music and videos); cultural offerings of Kpop texts which appealed to the
Filipino audience; and the gratification of the fans’ needs through consumption of Kpop
media content.
To represent both virtual and offline fans, the researcher conducted two surveys on
120 offline fans, and 150 online fans, or a total of 270 survey respondents. The respondents comprised of Kpop fans aged 15-19 years, and the results revealed that these age brackets were well-represented (as seen on Table 1) in the survey. However, the survey showed that an overwhelming number of respondents were females (see Table 2). The Korean girl group
Girls’ Generation also had the most fans among the survey participants, while boy group
SS501 had the fewest fans. The other three groups (Shinee, Super Junior, U-Kiss) had an
almost equal representation among the respondents.
The survey results also revealed that the Filipino teens were very active consumers of
Korean media texts (see Table 4). Table 6 showed that the respondents were highly-exposed
to Kpop content because most of them consumed Korean music and videos everyday. The
fans also had various ways of consuming Kpop, and most of these ways utilized television
and Internet. However, of the two media, the Internet proved to be the most efficient source
of free Korean content because it provided fans with ease of access to unpaid media texts
(see Table 5). Paid Internet content was the least chosen access to Kpop, while cable
television came in second to the Internet as the most useful medium. 96
The study determined four cultural offerings (language, visuals, cultural capital, story) in Korean media texts. The surveys reflected that the Filipino fans could identify all of these cultural offerings, but did not necessarily relate with them. For instance, the respondents recognized the Korean language, but many of them did not understand it.
However, the language barrier did not prevent their appreciation of Korean media texts (see
Table 6). Table 5 also showed that most of the respondents were already learning the Korean language in order to resolve the language barrier.
Visual elements are also cultural offerings present in Kpop content, and all the respondents were able to identify the two visuals determined in this study: the physical appearance of the artists, and the production quality of the music videos. Nearly all of the respondents said the attractive physical appearance of Korean artists influenced their consumption (see Table 8). The results show that the good looks influenced the active consumption of the Filipino fans. However, Table 8 shows that the most appealing visual aspect was the music video concept, while the face of Korean idols came in second.
The cultural capitals were discussed, but the respondents weren’t asked to provide specific traditions or customs. They were only asked about their actions when they encountered unfamiliar content in video, which included Korean cultural capitals such as practices, beliefs, traditions and customs. Table 10 showed that almost all the respondents learned about unfamiliar concepts. One Korean custom was singled out by the researcher – the Korean entertainment industry’s training of talents. This practice was highly applauded by the respondents, such that they said it should also be applied to the Philippine’s entertainment industry (see Table 11). 97
The last cultural offering determined in the study was the story of Korean media texts. The results revealed that the Filipino teens identified most with the values of friendship and hard work, which were often exhibited in variety shows and documentaries featuring the
Korean artists. This revealed that the Filipino fans could relate to the real personalities of the
Korean idols, as opposed to their fictional selves presented in dramas or music videos. The
Filipino fans also learned about the meanings of the songs in order to fully comprehend the messages and stories of Korean music, while some also memorized the song lyrics amidst the unfamiliarity of the language (see Tables 12 and 13). This fact proved that the Filipino teens actually took effort in order to understand the content of Korean media texts.
Based on McQuail’s classification of needs (Uses and Gratifications Theory), the researcher determined how the consumption of Kpop media texts gratified the needs of the fans. The survey results showed that Kpop consumption satisfied some of the needs of the
Filipino teens.
The need for information stems out from the audiences’ desire to find out about their immediate surroundings, the society, or the world. The respondents’ interest and curiosity about the society of South Korea was satisfied by their exposure to Korean songs and videos
(see Table 15). The survey showed that almost all the respondents gained new knowledge about the Korean culture, and Table 18 also shows that almost all of them agreed that their new knowledge about South Korea influenced them to consume more Kpop content. Their active consumption also had a huge impact on their habits and desires as well as their personal models of behavior (see Table 17). The changes in their habits and desires influenced some of their choices, especially when it came to their music and fashion choices
(as seen in Table 18). 98
Consuming Korean popular music and videos also encouraged the Filipino audiences to seek a sense of belongingness. Social interaction is one of the basic needs, and this could be achieved through gaining insights on the situation of fellow fans. Table 20 showed that most of the survey respondents have joined social groups in order to acquire this sense of belongingness. The respondents’’ top choices of social groups were online forums and fan clubs.
Lastly, media audiences seek entertainment, and the survey revealed that Filipino teens got this entertainment from Korean popular music. More than three-fourths (see Table
21) of all the survey participants believed that Kpop’s high-quality and world-class appeal contributed to its ability to deliver entertainment. Also, there was an almost equal representation of frequency count of the different aspects of Kpop (see Table 22) which reflected that respondents’ belief that all aspects of Korean music were entertaining.
Six focus interviews were conducted after the survey. Of the six interviewees, four were females while two were males, which further reflect that the women outnumbered the men among Korean music fans in the Philippines. All six interviewees were very active fans.
Each of them was a fan of the following groups: Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, U-Kiss,
SS501, and Shinee. The females were fans of the boy groups, while the two males were both fans of Girls’ Generation. This implies that females are oftentimes attracted to male artists, while male fans like female artists.
The interviewees were also highly exposed to Korean popular music because all of them admitted to consuming Kpop content every day, during all possible times. They all did their daily activities while inserting their consumption in between studying, eating, sleeping, and other activities. They also utilized various ways of consuming Korean media texts, with 99
emphasis on their use of the Internet. They did not find much use of free television channels like ABS-CBN, GMA and TV5 in their consumption, as these channels provided very little
Kpop content. However, the interviewees found some use of cable channels like Arirang TV,
KBS World, and MYX because those channels provided fans with Kpop content on scheduled
broadcast dates and times. However, the Internet is found to be the easiest, fastest and most
practical source of Kpop music and videos because it provided the fans with free media
content. The Internet also served as a tool for free news and updates about their favorite
artists, as well as an avenue for the socialization of Kpop fans around the world. Aside from
cable channels and the Internet, the interviewees also acquired content from their peers, or
fellow fans, and through their attendance in fan events such as conventions.
The interviewees found the Korean language attractive, and therefore admitted to
their fascination for the foreign language. Because of this, they did not find the language a
barrier to their full appreciation of Korean media content. In fact, they were already learning
to read, write, and speak the language. However, they also relied on outside help in order to
understand the language, such as asking Korean friends, those who understand Korean, or
acquiring subtitled videos or translations online. The interviewees also believed that music is
a universal language, thus they believed that Kpop spoke to them even if they did not
understand Korean. They believed that the melodies and harmonies of the music, as well as
song lyrics and song quality, contributed to the ability of Korean popular music to transcend
the language barrier.
Aside from the language, the visual elements were also identified by the interviewees.
They all mentioned that the attractive physical appearance of the artists contributed to their
liking. Aside from the looks of the idols, the respondents also believed that Korean music 100
videos were very well produced, proven by its high production quality. This quality is
reflected in the choreography, fashion, and style of the artists, which altogether contributed to
Korean music video’s distinctive style.
Cultural capitals such as traditions, customs, practices, jokes or idioms were also familiar with the interviewees, but they did not always understand the content of these cultural elements because of their Korean history. The interviewees disregarded unfamiliar messages and did not bother to learn them at all. They either tried to understand them in context with familiar elements, or they asked the help of Korean friends, or those who knew about Korean. Same with the survey, the interviewees also commended the Korean practice of training talents. According to them, the long training was evident on the very polished performances of the Korean idols, as well as the high-quality entertainment that Korean artists deliver to the audience.
When it comes to the stories of Korean videos, the interviewees enumerated specific themes and values present in Kpop content that appealed the most to them. The interviewees all mentioned respect for elders and close family ties as the most identifiable values in
Korean videos. The interviewees also commended the South Korean’s conservatism, as well
as the hard work and friendship among the Korean idols. While one would expect romantic
love to be a common theme that appealed to the fans, none of the interviewees actually found
romance an interesting topic in Korean songs and videos.
Like the survey participants, the interviewees gained a lot of new knowledge about
South Korea, and in turn, they felt more motivated to consume more Korean media texts in
order to learn more. However, some explained that aside from the information, other factors 101 actually fueled their repeated consumption such as song quality and the value of entertainment they acquired.
The consumption of Korean music also became an avenue for the fans to discover something new about their personalities. Some interviewees even realized their fan identities, especially their “fanatic”, “addicted” and “obsessed” sides. They were all surprised about the level of fanaticism and support they have endowed to the Korean artists, whether the support maybe financial (in terms of purchasing merchandise) or emotional. Aside from their personalities, they also found personal models of behavior among the Kpop idols. The interviewees mentioned specific Korean artists they wanted to emulate in terms of talent and personality.
The interviewees also joined social groups because they needed to get to know fellow fans who actually fully understood their support for Korean artists. These social groups also provided them with news, updates, and information about their favorite artists and other fan events about Kpop. Since they have already formed alliances and relationships with fellow fans, the interviewees said that their social groups actually contributed a lot to their continued consumption as these provided them more venues to acquire Kpop content.
102
Chapter 6
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
This study attempted to understand the Filipino teens as active consumers of Korean popular music and videos. To achieve this objective, the researcher employed both quantitative and qualitative methods. A survey on 270 teenage Kpop fans (150 respondents online, 120 respondents offline) provided a quantified overview on the Filipino teen respondents’ patterns of consumption, as well as their reasons for consuming Korean music and videos. In order to qualify for the survey, respondents had to be 15-19 years of age and members of the fan clubs or Internet communities of the following artists: Girls’ Generation,
Super Junior, Shinee, U-Kiss and SS501. Also, the researcher chose six traditional survey respondents for focus interviews. This research method provided a more in-depth analysis of the phenomenon.
Summary
Most of the fans were females as proven by the gender ratio of the random survey conducted both online and offline. By surveying 120 offline fans and 150 online fans, and interviewing six respondents, the researcher found out about the Filipino teens’ patterns of consuming Korean music and videos. The cultural offerings present in Korean media texts were also identified as well as the Filipino fans’ needs that Kpop consumption may have or may have not satisfied.
This study found out that the Filipino teens were very active consumers of Kpop, as seen in their everyday consumption of Korean music and videos. Their daily schedule consisted of listening to Korean music on their way to and from school through their music 103 players and watching Korean videos on their laptops or computers. The Internet also played an important role on the respondents’ consumption as it was used as a tool to acquire free
Kpop content in websites like Youtube, to be updated on news and events through blogsites like Allkpop, and also to socialize with fellow fans, both locally and internationally, through fan forums and online communities. The UHF television played a minor role as a medium for
Kpop media texts, as the fans all said they got very few Kpop content from it. However, many of them used cable channels like MYX, KBS World and Arirang as venues to watch
Korean videos. Other ways of consuming Kpop content included purchasing merchandises like CDs and DVDs on both online stores and offline sellers. Other respondents also acquired
Korean texts through their peers and fellow fans. There were also some who channeled their consumption through their talents and skills, such as writing fan fiction and dancing to
Korean music.
The Korean language is first and foremost the most obvious cultural offering of
Korean music and videos. As the Korean language wasn’t understood by nearly all the units of analysis, it was assumed to be a barrier to the appreciation of Kpop. However, the study found out that majority of the respondents did not find the language barrier as a hindrance to their liking of Korean music, videos and artists. In fact, almost all of them were already learning the said foreign language. The saying Music is a universal language applied to this phenomenon as the respondents said that the music spoke to them and enabled them to appreciate Kpop. They also looked at other aspects of Kpop to reconcile with the language barrier such as the music’s melody, harmony, lyrics, meanings and production value.
Aside from the language, the study also looked into the visual cultural offerings such as the artists’ physical appearance, and the visual qualities of the music videos. The 104
respondents said that the physical appearance of the Korean artists positively affected their liking. The good looks and charisma of the idols served as an added factor to the overall entertaining quality of Kpop. Specifically, the physical aspects of the face, hairstyle, as well as the fashion and style of the Korean idols attracted the respondents and interviewees. The music videos also contributed to Kpop’s appeal to the respondents. They found Korean music videos to be well-produced. The overall concept and the choreography of the songs were most lauded, as well as the fashion and style of the artists in those music videos.
Cultural capital is another cultural offering of South Korean media content which includes the customs, traditions, and actual historical accounts of the said country and its people. These types of content may be misunderstood by foreign audience, including the
Filipino fans. This study found out that nearly all the respondents tried to decode the meaning of the foreign content. However, the respondents were split into finding out about absolutely everything, or learning only about content that captured their attention. In learning about these content, some respondents asked their Korean friends or fellow fans who knew, or sometimes acquired videos with subtitles and transcriptions. One South Korean custom was specifically discussed in the study: the long years of training of artists. Nearly all the respondents found this custom commendable, while many said that it should also be applied in the Philippines. They believed that the training was particularly evident in the polished talents and performances of the artists and the high quality of Kpop as a whole.
The story also served as an important cultural offering for the fans. This aspect includes the themes and values in the actual content of the songs and videos. Most of the respondents and interviewees memorized the lyrics of the songs as well the meanings behind the songs. Through the translations of lyrics, respondents found it easier to relate with the 105
songs and their messages. Some of the respondents enumerated lyrical contents and themes
that they highly appreciated most specifically romance, appreciation of fans, and self-
transparency. Other themes and values they were able to identify with in Kpop content
included hard work and determination, as well as the regards for elders and family.
The study also found out that consuming Korean popular music and videos satisfied
certain needs of the Filipino fans, most specially their need for entertainment. In some levels,
it also fulfilled the needs of the fans for information, personal identity, and social interaction.
The survey showed that the Filipino teens have gained new knowledge about South
Korea’s society and culture through their consumption of Korean music and videos. It also
showed that the respondents actually consumed more Korean media texts because of the
knowledge they acquired. The new knowledge gained included particular practices of the
Koreans (bowing as a sign of respect for seniors), as well as the attitudes of the Korean
general public (such as the very passionate idol culture of Korean society).
On the other hand, the active consumption of Kpop content influenced the
respondents’ need for personal identity, particularly in forming their fan identity. Most of the
respondents have discovered their ability to be fans, as evident in their use of words such as
“obsessed,” “addicted,” and “fanatic.” The respondents were pleasantly surprised at the
extent of their support and loyalty to a particular Korean group. Aside from this, the survey also showed that the respondents’ and interviewees’ habits and desires, as well as their choice for music and fashion, have been altered since they’ve started following Korean artists. This was particularly evident in the patterns of consumption they formed such as consuming selected Korean content regularly. Many of the respondents also admitted to
having found idols that they particularly looked up to. 106
Meanwhile, there was also satisfaction fulfilled on the aspect of the respondents’ social interaction. While some of their friends and families initially found their attraction for foreign content and artists weird, it didn’t necessarily affect their relationships with these people. The biggest change in their social life involved meeting and socializing with people who had the same interest for Kpop. Many Filipino fans have joined or participated in organizations or groups dedicated to Kpop, including fan clubs, online forums, gatherings and conventions. Meeting new people served as another motivator for the respondents to consume more Kpop content because through these social groups; they were able to acquire new media texts and updates on latest news and events relating to Kpop.
The need for entertainment was found to be hugely satisfied by consuming Korean music and videos. Most of the respondents found Kpop to be of high-quality and globally competitive. The entertainment aspects that particularly engrossed the fans included the music video, the artists’ talents, as well as the music’s beat and melody. The respondents believed that the Kpop industry has the complete package as well as the ability to fully cater to the entertainment of its audience. This innate ability translated to the active consumption of the respondents in order to further satisfy their thirst for entertainment.
Conclusion
The results of the study generated the following conclusions:
a. Filipino teenage fans are very active consumers of Korean popular music and videos
and are highly exposed to Kpop;
b. Filipino fans could identify with the four cultural offerings determined in the study
(language, visuals, cultural capital, story) but not all these aspects contribute to their 107
repeated consumption of Kpop content. Of the four cultural offerings, only the visual
aspects and the story have a huge impact on their repeated consumption; c. Consuming Korean music and videos gratify the Filipino fans’ needs on some levels,
but not all these gratifications serve as motivators for repeated consumption. New
knowledge about South Korea, the fan identity of the fans, and the social interaction
formed out of their fandom, are only a part of the whole package that comes with
consuming Korean content. The main fuel for repeated consumption is found to be
the entertainment aspects of Korean music; and d. Filipino fans’ active consumption of Korean music stems out primarily from the
entertaining qualities (attractive visual aspects and catchy melody) of Korean music
and videos.
108
Chapter 7
IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter contains all the implications that have been encountered during the course of the research endeavor. Issues on the theoretical and methodological levels are discussed, followed by appropriate recommendations for future researchers and related studies.
Implications
In studying the popularity of the Korean popular music among the Filipino teens, the researcher used the theories of Cultural Proximity, Media Dependency, and Uses and
Gratifications. Fusing these three theories, the researcher modeled a framework stating that
Filipino fans initially relate with the cultural offerings in a foreign media text (Cultural
Proximity Theory). Upon relating with these cultural elements, they become greatly involved in the information processing of the said media content (Media Dependency Theory) which results to their dependency on the media, as they find that it provides their different needs
(Uses and Gratifications Theory).
Two of the three theories proved to be apt for the phenomenon. Cultural proximity theory explained the attraction of the Filipino fans on the foreign media content because of the presence of familiar cultural offerings (language, visuals, cultural capital and story).
These cultural offerings, in turn, gratified the needs of the Filipino fans, especially in terms of their needs for entertainment (satisfied by visual and narrative aspects) and information
(satisfied by language and cultural capital). Together, the appeal of the cultural aspects and 109
the ability of Kpop to gratify the fans’ needs resulted to their active consumption of Korean
music and videos.
However, although the framework applied to the phenomenon of Kpop’s popularity
among the Filipino teens, the researcher found out that in reality, the fandom of the Filipino youth do not always happen in the order posed by the framework. The framework posed that the fandom begins with the identification of cultural offerings such as language, visuals, cultural capital, and story. Although for some, this was the case, other fans became Kpop fans because of the bandwagon effect, while some were influenced by their peers. The cultural offerings weren’t always the aspects that brought about the fans’ initial exposure.
Also, the framework suggested that the gratifications of needs come after the great involvement in the information processing, which means that only after repeated consumption do the gratification of needs takes place. However, the results showed that gratification could actually occur in the beginning of the exposure, and the gratification of needs could actually become the prerequisite for the continued consumption. For instance, the respondents found that Kpop actually satisfied their entertainment needs, and therefore to further achieve this satisfaction, their patterns of consumption changed. They became more involved in the information processing through their more frequent exposures to Korean music and videos. This meant that the gratification of their entertainment needs took place before their active consumption of Korean music and videos. This was the opposite of what the framework posed.
The Media Dependency Theory was not also utilized as much as the other two theories. This study’s framework used the said theory’s assumption that the audience becomes greatly involved in the information processing, as a result of the media’s importance 110 to them. The study’s results did not reflect the importance of Kpop in the lives of the respondents, as it only looked into their main reasons of consumption. The media dependency theory also tackles the various behavioral and cognitive effects as a result of the audience’s high exposure to media content, and although the respondents were highly exposed to Korean media, the effects of this exposure on their cognition and behavior did not come out in the study.
Two methods were employed in the study: survey (quantitative), and focus interview
(qualitative). Aside from the traditional face-to-face survey, online survey was also conducted in order to give representation to the virtual fans who were not active attendees of fan conventions. However, this proved to be disadvantageous. Out of the 349 online participants who answered the survey, only 150 survey sheets were valid because some online respondents did not complete the questionnaire. Invalid answer sheets were also gathered because there was a lack of clarity and understanding between the researcher and the participants, therefore some answered the survey wrongly or incompletely.
The study also specifically chose four male groups and one female group idolized by the Filipino fans, resulting to the huge number of female respondents (in both the survey and focus interviews) as compared to the male fans. Although gender was not an important indicator in the study, the unequal representation of the sexes did not provide the voices of the male fans, as much as it did the females.
The biggest issue, however, came from the survey instruments. Most survey questions were designed to be answerable with a yes or a no, when these could have been through open-ended questions in order to obtain an explanation of the respondents’ answers. As a result, the survey acted nothing more than a quantified overview of the fans’ patterns and 111 reasons for consuming Kpop content. Without the focus interviews, the survey could not have answered the research problem by itself.
In contrast, the focus interviews proved to be a very effective method in eliciting answers from the interviewees. This method actually allowed the researcher to understand the reasoning behind the survey answers. Only six interviews were conducted, and although this number of interviews already provided the data needed, more interviews would have made the results stronger and more representative of the Filipino fans in general.
The study found out that Filipino fans consumed Korean music and videos repeatedly because of the visually appealing aspects, such as the attractive Korean artists, and the high- quality music videos. The main implication of this finding targets the local media producers.
As it was proven that there are certain qualities in media content that attract the Filipino teenagers, the producers of music and television content in the country could use this finding in order to improve the production of local media content so that Filipino media texts could also gain the loyalty and support of the young Filipino media consumers.
Recommendations
The researcher recommends future researchers to tackle the cognitive and behavioral effects of foreign media content, such as Kpop, on the Filipino fans. The current research almost touched on this subject, but failed to do so even though it already incorporated Media
Dependency Theory in the framework. The same theory could explain the effects of consuming Kpop content on the fans’ actions, personalities, lifestyle, etc. For scholars planning to understand the content of foreign media texts that makes it attractive for Filipino 112
audiences, the Cultural Proximity Theory serves as a good backbone, especially in
understanding the similarities or difference of the foreign culture to the Filipino culture.
Focus interview is a very effective method in understanding the audience, and the
greater number of interviews would provide greater amount and quality of data. Aside from this, focus group discussions could also be an effective method in order to elicit group views
among the Filipino audience, especially since Kpop fandom in the Philippines appear to be a
“bandwagon” phenomenon among the Filipino youth. A gender study is also recommended,
as this study revealed that female fans outnumbered male Kpop fans. The difference between
the fanship of males and females may also be researched.
Lastly, a study on the a comparative analysis between Kpop content and Filipino
music content can also shed light on which of the two media texts is more preferred by the
Filipino audience and the reasons for their preference. The results of such studies would be
beneficial for the improvement of the local media industry.
113
ENDNOTES
1 Cornel B. Sandvoss, Fans: A Mirror of Consumption (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2005), 16.
2 Mark B. Andrejevic, “Watching Television Without Pity: The Productivity of Online Fans,” Television & New Media 9, no. 1 (January 2008): 24-46.
3 Joseph Straubhaar, Robert Larose, and Lucinda Davenport, Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology, 6th ed., (California: Wadsworth, 2008).
4 Julie U. Cabato, “A Partial Ethnography of Asian Soap Opera Viewers of Meteor Garden, Lavender and Endless Love” (Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2004).
5 Doobo Shim, “Hybridity and the Rise of Korean Popular Culture in Asia,” Media, Culture and Society 28, no. 1 (January 2006): 25-44.
6 Haejeong Cho, “Reading the Korean Wave as a sign of Global Shift,” Korea Journal 45, no. 4 (December 2005): 147-82.
7 Jonathan M. Hicap, “Kpop Albums Dominate RP Charts,” Manila Bulletin 8 May 2010 [Accessed on August 2010, from http://mb.com.ph/articles/256536/kpop-albums-dominate-rp-charts].
8 Jonathan M. Hicap, “Sorry Sorry’ leads 2009’s Kpop album sales in RP,” Manila Bulletin 11 January 2010 [Accessed on August 2010, from http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/237904/sorry-sorry- leads-2009s-kpop-album-sales-rp].
9 Jonathan M. Hicap, “Shinee to Perform in Manila,” Korea Time 18 November 2009 [Accessed on August 2010, from http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2009/12/178_55717.html].
10 Jonathan M. Hicap, “Kpop girl group 4minute Tours Manila in February,” Manila Bulletin 18 January 2010 [Accessed on August 2010, from http://www.mb.com.ph/node/239061/kpop-girl-group- 4minute-tour].
11 Jonathan M. Hicap, “Kpop group FT Island charms Manila,” Manila Bulletin 6 March 2010 [Accessed on August 2010, from http://www.mb.com.ph/node/246484].
12 Pocholo Concepcion, “An expensive Korean version of ASAP,” Philippine Daily Inquirer 13 April 2010 [Accessed on August 2010, from http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20100413-264123/An- expensive-Korean-version-of-ASAP].
13 Adrian C. Velasco, “Let’s party Pilipinas! U-Kiss will Kiss you,” The Philippine Star 27 March 2010 [Accessed on August 2010, from http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=561565&publicationSubCategoryId=448].
114
14 “Kim Hyunjoong and Beast in Manila on June 19,” Manila Bulletin 1 June 2010 [Accessed on August 2010, from http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/260108/kim-hyun-joong-and-beast-manila- june-19].
15 Bong Godlinez, “Kpop Superstar Rain Caps Off Manila Visit With Intensity Concert Tonight,” GMA News 11 September 2010 [Accessed on November 2010, from http://www.gmanews.tv/story/200814/pep-k-pop-superstar-rain-caps-off-manila-visit-with-intensity- concert-tonight].
16 Allkpop. “Check out the 1st Philippine Kpop Convention!” [Acessed August 2010, from http://www.allkpop.com/2009/11/check_out_the_1st_philippine_kpop_convention.
17 Henry Jenkins, Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture (New York: Routledge, 1992.
18 Ibid.,10.
19 Sandvoss, 8.
20 Ibid.
21 Ibid., 9.
22 Joe J. Phua, “Consumption of Sports team-related Media: Its Influence on Sports Fan Identity Salience and Self-esteem,” (International Communication Association: Montreal, 2008) [database online]; available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p230721_index.html
23 Ibid.,16.
24 Erin Whiteside and Marie Hardin, “What do Women Want: Exploring the Sports Media Consumption Habits of Women” (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication: Chicago, 2008) [database online]; available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/7/2/4/6/p272461_index.html.
25 Ibid.,17.
26 Andrejevic, 2008.
27 Ibid., 23.
28 Regine G. Ramos and Kessica C. Tanglao, “Pinoy Teen Fan: Adolescent Celebrity Fandom and Self-Concept” (Unpublished Thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2009).
29 Ibid.
30 Ibid.,166.
31 Ibid.
115
32 Carlito P. Parungao, “usa(f)an: A Qualitative Study on the Communication Patterns and Group Dynamics of Selected Celebrity Fan Clubs,” (Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2007).
33 Ibid., 20.
34 Phua, 2008).
35 Danube R. Oting, “Marimar’s Magic: The Factors Behind the Programming Changes of Channel 9,” (Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 1998), 9.
36 Ibid.
37 Gerardo N. Peralta, “Mari-mar! A Study in Intertextuality and Polysemy” (Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 1998).
38 Mariel F. Parra, “An Audience Analysis of Filipino Viewers' Reading and Usage of the Spanish-language Soap Operas” (Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2001).
39 Oting, 66.
40 Ibid., 67.
41 Peralta, 116.
42 Oting.
43 Peralta, 119.
44 Parra.
45 Johann T. Ong, “Anime in the Pinoy Anima” (Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2003).
46 Eleanor F. Abellar, “Kids' Say on Anime: An Audience Study of some Marikina City Children's Perception of Japanese Animation Programs” (Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2002).
47 Ong.
48 Parra.
49 C. Guiao and P. Kiocho, “Slashing through the Screen: the X-factor of Samurai X” (Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2006).
50 Ong.
51 Abellar.
116
52 Parra.
53 Jacquiline L. Brabante and Joy F. Lastimoso, “Meteor Mania: A Study on the Promotional Campaign for Meteor Garden and its Contributions to the Popularity of the Show” (Unpublished Thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2004), 63.
54 Pamela P. Catindig, Justine R. Galang and Pauline R. Galias,“Meteor Invasion: A Political Economic Analysis of the Promotion and Consumption of F4 and Meteor Garden” (Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2004), 4.
55 Ibid.
56 Oting.
57 Woongjae Ryoo, “Globalization, or the Logic of Cultural Hybridization: The Case of the Korean Wave,” Asian Journal of Communication 19, no. 2 (June 2009): 137-51.
58 Shim.
59 Kideuk Hyun, “New Asian Cultural Proximity, Korean Modernity in between, and Reception of Korean TV Drama in the East Asia” (International Communication Association: California, 2007) [database online]; available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/7/0/6/0/p170609_index.html.
60 Hyejung Ju, “Regionalization of East Asian Television Programs: Examining the Popularity of Contemporary Korean Television Dramas in East Asia” (International Communication Association: Dresden, Germany, 2006) [database online]; available from www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/0/9/2/3/6/p92364_index.html.
61 Shim.
62 Ibid.
63 Ibid., 38.
64 Ibid., 35.
65 Ryoo, 2.
66 Ibid., 4.
67 Ibid.
68 Hyun.
69 Ju, 23.
70 Ibid.
117
71 Suekyung Lee, “The Korean Wave in Japan: Winter Sonata and Its Implications Through Audience Perception” (International Communication Association, Germany, 2009) [database online]; available from www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/0/9/2/6/6/p92660_index.html.
72 Sabine Trepte, “The intercultural perspective: Cultural proximity as a key factor of television success” (International Communication Association, San Diego, USA, 2003) [database online]; available from http://www.uni-hamburg.de/fachbereiche- einrichtungen/fb16/absozpsy/pdf_cultural_proximity.pdf.
73 Lee, 18.
74 Oting.
75 Cabato.
76 Jonathan M. Hicap, “Filipinos Get Hooked on K-Pop Craze,” Korea Times 06 September 2009. [Accessed on August 2010, from http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/09/117_51347.html].
77 Oting.
78 Phua.
79 Whiteside.
80 Sandvoss.
81 Jenkins.
82 Parungao.
83 Sandvoss.
84 Ju.
85 Hicap, Filipinos get hooked.
86 Nino Mark Sablan, “Crazy for Kpop,” Philippine Daily Inquirer 24 July 2009. [Accessed on August 2010, from http://services.inquirer.net/print/print.php?article_id=20090724-217073].
87 Joseph Straubhaar, “Brazilian Television: The Decline of American Influence,” Communications Research 11, no. 2 (April 1984): 221-40.
88 Douglas Bicket, “Reconsidering Geocultural Contraflow: Cultural Information Flows through Trends in Global Audiovisual Trade,” Global Media Journal 4, no. 6 (April 2005).
89 Straubhaar, Brazilian Television.
118
90 Michael G. Elasmar, The Impact of International television: a Paradigm Shift (New Jersey: Routledge, 2003).
91 Straubhaar, Brazilian Television.
92 Trepte, 8.
93 Straubhaar, Media Now, 16.
94 Hyun.
95 Shim.
96 Straubhaar, Brazilian Television.
97 Stanley J. Baran and Dennis K. David, Mass Communication Theory: Foundations, Ferment, and Future (Boston, USA: Wadsworth, 2009).
98 Renee Botta, “Media Dependency and Attitudes Toward Condom Use in Zambia” (International Communication Association: Germany, 2006) [database online]; available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p92830_index.html.
99 Padmini Patwardhan and Jyotika Ramaprasad, “Internet Dependency Relations and Online Activity Exposure, Involvement, and Satisfaction: A Study of American and Indian Internet Users” (International Communication Association: New York, 2005) [database online]; available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p12774_index.html.
100 Baran.
101 Stephen W. Littlejohn and Karen A. Foss, eds., Encyclopedia of Communication Theory, vol.4 (Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 2009), 65.
102 Richard J. Harris, A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication, 5th ed. (New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers, 2009), 32.
103 Jay G. Blumler, Elihu Katz and Michael Gurevitch, “Uses and Gratifications Research,” The Public Opinion Quarterly 37, no. 4 (1974): 509-23.
104 Ibid., 510.
105 Ibid., 514.
106 Denis McQuail, Mass Communication Theory, 4th ed.(London: Sage Publications, 2000).
107 Jaeho Cho and others, “Beyond Access: Digital Divide, Internet Use, and Gratifications Gained,” (International Communication Association: San Diego, 2003) [database online]; available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/1/1/5/2/p111524_index.html.
119
108 Mark A. Urista, Qingwen Dong, and Kenneth Day, “Explaining Why Young Adults Use MySpace and Facebook Through Uses and Gratifications Theory,” Human Communication 12, no. 2 (2008): 215-29.
109 McQuail.
110 Ibid.
111 Girls’ Generation Philippines: http://www.ggphilippines.org/
112 Super Junior United Philippines: http://sjuph.org/
113 Shinee World Philippines: http://shineeworld.ph/
114 Triple S Philippines: http://triplesph.com/
115 U-Kiss Me Philippines: http://ukissmeph.co.nr/
116 Online Survey: http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online- survey.php?surveyID=HLHHFG_a1780cf0
117 Fatemeh Rabiee, “Focus-group Interview and Data Analysis” Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 63: 655-660.
118 Richard A. Krueger, Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research, 4th ed. (Thousands Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 2009).
119 Soejung Kim, “Schools for stardom groom pop wannabes,” Retrieved from http://www.sm- academy.com/community/news_view.asp?seq=41&page=7&searchField=&searchValue=
120 Ibid.
121 Ibid.
122 Girls’ Generation Hello Baby. Retrieved from http://www.frontiertimes.co.kr/news_view.html?s=FR04&no=39672&s_id=65&ss_id=0
123 Super Junior’s Full House. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Junior_Full_House
124 Shinee’s Hello Baby. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinee%27s_hello_baby
125 Ukiss’ Vampire. Retrieved from http://www.allkpop.com/2010/01/u-kiss-boys-transform- into-vampires
126 Girls’ Generation’s Girls Go To School. Retrieved from http://www.soompi.com/forums/topic/250681-girls-go-to-school-where-it-all-began-snsds-1st-reality- show/
127 McQuail.
120
128 Blumler, Katz and Gurevitch.
129 McQuail.
130 Katz, Gurevitch and Haas.
131 McQuail.
132 Ibid.
133 Ibid.
134 Ibid.
135 Ibid.
136 Denis McQuail, Jay Blumler and R. Brown, The television audience: a revised perspective in D. McQuail (ed.): Sociology of Mass Communication” (London: Longman, 1972), 135-65.
137 Ibid.
138 SM Entertainment in YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/sment
139 YG Entertainment in YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/YGEntertainment
140 JYP Entertainment in YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/jypentertainment
141 Rain Intensity Tour in Manila. Retrieved from http://mymusicmanila.blogspot.com/2010/09/rain-intensity-concert-featuring-rain-u.html
142 Allkpop, “U-Kiss parties it up in the Philippines,” [Accessed August 2010, from http://www.allkpop.com/2010/03/u-kiss-party-it-up-in-the-philippines].
143 ABS-CBN News, “Korean Band SS501 Arrives in Manila for a Concert,” [Accessed August 2010, from http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/02/04/11/korean-band-ss501-arrives-manila- concert].
144 Ayesha, interview by author, 11 December 2010, PICC Tent, Pasay City, Tape Recording.
145 Showbiz Central (June 13, 2010 Episode). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZWxG6hkBUI
146 Double X, interview by author, 11 December 2010, PICC Tent, Pasay City, Tape Recording.
147 Girls’ Generation international fansite, retrieved from http://www.soshified.com.
148 allkpop.com
149 dkpopnews.net
121
150 Bryan, interview by author, 11 December 2010, PICC Tent, Pasay City, Tape Recording.
151 Ayesha interview.
152 Girls’ Generation international fansite.
153 Shinee international fansite, retrieved from http://www.shineee.net/index.php.
154 Super Junior international fansite, retrieved from http://www.sj-world.com.
155 Triple S Philippine fansite
156 Ukissme Philippine fansite
157 Straubhaar, Media Now.
158 Winnie, interview by author, 11 December 2010, PICC Tent, Pasay City, Tape Recording.
159 Wendy, interview by author, 11 December 2010, PICC Tent, Pasay City, Tape Recording.
160 Ayesha Interview.
161 Double X Interview.
162 Margaret, interview by author, 11 December 2010, PICC Tent, Pasay City, Tape Recording.
163 Ayesha Interview.
164 Double X Interview.
165 Bryan Interview.
166 Kim.
167 Double X Interview.
168 Margaret Interview.
169 Ayesha Interview.
170 Winnie Interview.
171 Margaret Interview.
172 Winnie Interview.
173 Appendix C.
174 Margaret Interview.
122
175 Appendix D.
176 Winnie Interview.
177 Ayesha Interview…
178 Appendix E.
179 Bryan Interview.
180 Jisook Bae, “40% of Actors Considered Suicide. Korea Times,” Korea Times 13 April 2010 [Accessed on November 2010, from http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/04/117_64133.html].
181 Double X Interview.
182 Bryan Interview.
183 Double X Interview.
184 Bryan Interview.
185 Winnie Interview.
186 Margaret Interview.
187 Ayesha Interview.
188 Shim.
189 Margaret Interview. 123
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Girls’ Generation international fansite. Retrieved from http://www.soshified.com.
Godlinez, Bong. “Kpop Superstar Rain Caps Off Manila Visit With Intensity Concert Tonight.” GMA News 11 September 2010. Accessed on November 2010, from http://www.gmanews.tv/story/200814/pep-k-pop-superstar-rain-caps-off-manila-visit- with-intensity-concert-tonight.
Hicap, Jonathan M. “Shinee to Perform in Manila.” Korea Time 18 November 2009. Accessed on August 2010, from http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2009/12/178_55717.html.
Hicap, Jonathan M. “Filipinos Get Hooked on K-Pop Craze.” Korea Times 06 September 2009. Accessed on August 2010, from http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/09/117_51347.html.
Hicap, Jonathan M. “Kpop Albums Dominate RP Charts.” Manila Bulletin 8 May 2010. Accessed on August 2010, from http://mb.com.ph/articles/256536/kpop-albums- dominate-rp-charts.
Hicap, Jonathan M. “Kpop Albums Dominate RP Charts.” Manila Bulletin 8 May 2010. Accessed on August 2010, from http://mb.com.ph/articles/256536/kpop-albums- dominate-rp-charts. 126
Hicap, Jonathan M. “Kpop girl group 4minute Tours Manila in February.” Manila Bulletin 18 January 2010. Accessed on August 2010, from http://www.mb.com.ph/node/239061/kpop-girl-group-4minute-tour.
Hicap, Jonathan. “Kpop group FT Island charms Manila.” Manila Bulletin 6 March 2010. Accessed on August 2010, from http://www.mb.com.ph/node/246484.
JYP Entertainment in YouTube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/user/jypentertainment.
Kim, Soejung. “Schools for stardom groom pop wannabes.” 18 January 2008. Retrieved from www.sm- academy.com/community/news_view.asp?seq41&page7&searchField=&searchValue=
“Kim Hyunjoong and Beast in Manila on June 19.” Manila Bulletin 1 June 2010. Accessed on August 2010, from http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/260108/kim-hyun-joong-and- beast-manila-june-19.
Online Survey. Retrieved from http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online- survey.php?surveyID=HLHHFG_a1780cf0.
Orsal, N. (2010). U-Kiss will grace June 13 episode of Party Pilipinas. Retrieved from http://www.pep.ph/guide/tv/6239/korean-boy-band-u-kiss-will-grace-june-13-episode- of-party-pilipinas
Rain Intensity Tour in Manila. Retrieved from http://mymusicmanila.blogspot.com/2010/09/rain-intensity-concert-featuring-rain- u.html.
Sablan, Nino. “Crazy for Kpop,” Philippine Daily Inquirer 24 July 2009. Accessed on August 2010, from http://services.inquirer.net/print/print.php?article_id=20090724- 217073.
Shinee’s Hello Baby. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinee%27s_hello_baby
Shinee international fansite. Retrieved from http://www.shineee.net/index.php.
Shinee World Philippine fansite. Retrieved from http://shineeworld.ph/
Showbiz Central (June 13, 2010 Episode). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZWxG6hkBUI.
SM Entertainment in Youtube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/user/sment.
SS501 in Manila. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O5e2t0HREc
SS501’s Philippine fansite. Retrieved from http://triplesph.com/ 127
Straubhaar, J. (2008). Rethinking Cultural Proximity: Multiple Television Flows for Multilayered Cultural Identities. Retrieved from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/3/2/7/3/p232732_in dex.html
Super Junior’s Full House. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Junior_Full_House
Super Junior international fansite. Retrieved from http://www.sj-world.com.
Super Junior United Philippine fansite. Retrieved from http://sjuph.org/
U-Kiss Me Philippine fansite. Retrieved from http://ukissmeph.co.nr/
Ukiss’ Vampire. Retrieved from http://www.allkpop.com/2010/01/u-kiss-boys-transform- into-vampires
Velasco, Adrian C. “Let’s party Pilipinas! U-Kiss will Kiss you.” The Philippine Star 27 March 2010. Accessed on August 2010, from www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=561565&publicationSubCategoryId=448.
YG Entertainment in YouTube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/user/YGEntertainment.
Unpublished Materials
Abellar, Eleanor F. “Kids' Say on Anime: An Audience Study of some Marikina City Children's Perception of Japanese Animation Programs.” Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2002.
Alanzalon, S., Reyes, J., Sta. Ana, G., Subingsubing, D., Yamzon, E. (2009). I want nobody, nobody but chu! How Korean popular music influence the Lifestyle, Musical Preference and Social Groups of the Filipino youth. Unpublished paper, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman.
Botta, Renee. “Media Dependency and Attitudes Toward Condom Use in Zambia.” International Communication Association: Germany, 2006. Database online. Available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p92830_index.html.
Brabante, Jacquiline L. and Joy F. Lastimoso. “Meteor Mania: A Study on the Promotional Campaign for Meteor Garden and its Contributions to the Popularity of the Show.” Unpublished Thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2004. 128
Cabato, Julie U. (2004). “A Partial Ethnography of Asian Soap Opera Viewers of Meteor Garden, Lavender and Endless Love.” Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2004).
Catindig. Pamela P., Justine R. Galang and Pauline R. Galias.“Meteor Invasion: A Political Economic Analysis of the Promotion and Consumption of F4 and Meteor Garden.” Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2004.
Cho, Jaehoand others. “Beyond Access: Digital Divide, Internet Use, and Gratifications Gained.” International Communication Association: San Diego, 2003. Database online. Available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/1/1/5/2/p111524_ind ex.html.
Guiao, C and P. Kiocho. “Slashing through the Screen: the X-factor of Samurai X.” Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2006.
Hyun, Kideuk. “New Asian Cultural Proximity, Korean Modernity in between, and Reception of Korean TV Drama in the East Asia.” International Communication Association: California, 2007. Database online. Available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/7/0/6/0/p170609_ind ex.html
Ju, Hyejung. “Regionalization of East Asian Television Programs: Examining the Popularity of Contemporary Korean Television Dramas in East Asia.” International Communication Association: Germany, 2006. Database online. Available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/0/9/2/3/6/p92364_inde x.html.
Lee, Suekyung. “The Korean Wave in Japan: Winter Sonata and Its Implications Through Audience Perception.” International Communication Association, Germany, 2009. Database online. Available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/0/9/2/6/6/p92660_inde x.html.
Ong, Johann T. “Anime in the Pinoy Anima.” Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2003.
Oting, Danube R. “Marimar’s Magic: The Factors Behind the Programming Changes of Channel 9.” Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 1998.
Parra, Mariel F. “An Audience Analysis of Filipino Viewers' Reading and Usage of the Spanish-language Soap Operas.” Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2001. 129
Parungao, Carlito P. “usa(f)an: A Qualitative Study on the Communication Patterns and Group Dynamics of Selected Celebrity Fan Clubs.” Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2007.
Peralta, Gerardo N. “Mari-mar! A Study in Intertextuality and Polysemy.” Unpublished thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 1998.
Phua, Joe J. “Consumption of Sports team-related Media: Its Influence on Sports Fan Identity Salience and Self-esteem.” International Communication Association: Montreal, 2008. Database online. Available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p230721_index.html
Ramos, Regine G. and Kessica C. Tanglao. “Pinoy Teen Fan: Adolescent Celebrity Fandom and Self-Concept.” Unpublished Thesis, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2009.
Sundar, Shyam S. and A.M. Limperos. “Uses & Grats 2.0: Do New Technologies bring New Gratifications?” International Communication Association: Singapore, 2010. Database online. Available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/4/0/3/7/6/p403764_ind ex.html.
Trepte, Sabine. “The intercultural perspective: Cultural proximity as a key factor of television success.” International Communication Association, San Diego, 2003. Database online. Available from http://www.uni-hamburg.de/fachbereiche- einrichtungen/fb16/absozpsy/pdf_cultural_proximity.pdf.
Whiteside, Erin and Marie Hardin. “What do Women Want: Exploring the Sports Media Consumption Habits of Women.” Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication: Chicago, 2008. Database online. Available from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/7/2/4/6/p272461_ind ex.html.
Interviews
Ayesha. Interview by author. 11 December 2010, PICC Tent, Pasay City. Tape Recording.
Bryan. Interview by author. 11 December 2010, PICC Tent, Pasay City. Tape Recording.
Double X. Interview by author. 11 December 2010, PICC Tent, Pasay City. Tape Recording.
Margaret. Interview by author. 11 December 2010, PICC Tent, Pasay City. Tape Recording.
Wendy. Interview by author. 11 December 2010, PICC Tent, Pasay City. Tape Recording.
Winnie. Interview by author. 11 December 2010, PICC Tent, Pasay City. Tape Recording. 130
APPENDICES
131
APPENDIX A
Survey Questionnaire
KPOPPED! Understanding the Filipino Teens' Consumption of Korean Popular Music and Videos Annyeonghaseyo Kpop fans! I am Sarah Kristine Alanzalon, a fourth year Broadcast Communication student from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. This semester, I am studying the popularity of Kpop music, videos and artists among the Filipino teens. In connection to this, I am asking a small favor from you dear Kpopper! Kindly answer the survey questions below as part of my pursuit to understand the Kpop phenomenon. Hopefully, my thesis can make the world understand why you think Kpop rocks. Just check the line before your answer. Kamsahamnida! :-)
I. PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS 1. Name: 2. Age: 3. Gender: 4. Fan club: 5. Contact no. (optional):
II. FREQUENCY AND WAYS OF CONSUMING KPOP CONTENTS 6. In a weeks time, how often do you watch and listen to your favorite Kpop music, videos and artists? _ Once or twice _ Three to five times _ Everyday
7. What are your ways of consuming Kpop music, videos and artists (you can answer more than 1, and you may also provide other answers) _ Watching free TV (ABS-CBN, GMA, TV5, Studio 23) _ Watching Cable TV (Arirang, KBS World, MYX, channel V) _ Using the Internet for free contents (youtube, mediafire) _ Using the Internet for paid contents (iTunes, Melon, etc.) _ Using the Internet for purchasing (Yesasia, DVDHeaven etc) _ Using the Internet for news and updates (allkpop, soompi, fan forums) _ Offline purchasing of merchandises (Odyssey, musicone, independent sellers) _ Concerts and live performances _ Fan conventions and events Others (please specify): ______
III. CULTURAL OFFERINGS A. Language 8. Does the language barrier affect your liking? _ Yes _ No 132
APPENDIX A
Survey Questionnaire
9. Are you learning the Korean language because of Kpop? _ Yes _ No
B. Visuals 10. Does the physical appearance of the Korean artists affect your appreciation? _ Yes _ No 11. What physical aspects of the Korean artists and the music videos appeal the most to you? (you can answer more than 1, and you may also provide other answers) _ Face _ Hairstyles _ Music video concept _ Height _ Fashion _ Choreography _ Body _ Make up Others (please specify): ______
C. Cultural Capitals (Korean Culture, Traditions, Customs, History) 12. When you are watching Kpop videos and you stumble upon unfamiliar jokes, messages and other contents, what do you do? _ Dismiss it totally _ Always learn about it (all of it) _ Learn about only those that capture my attention
13. What is your opinion in South Korea’s regard on training of talents? _ Commendable (We should do it here in the Philippines) _ Waste of time (5-7 years is too long) _ I don’t really care about it
D. Story (Contents, Messages, Narrative) 14. What themes and values present in Kpop videos appeal to you? (you can answer more than 1, and you may also provide other answers) _ Regard of elders _ Hard work and determination _ Regard of family _ Unrequited love _ Friendship and Loyalty _ Romantic love Others (please specify): ______
15. Do you bother to learn about the meaning of the songs? _ Yes _ No
16. Do you take the effort to memorize the songs you like? _ Yes _ No 133
APPENDIX A
Survey Questionnaire
IV. NEEDS A. Information 17. Has consuming Kpop contributed to your knowledge of South Korea? _ A Lot (if you answered this, proceed to 18 _ A little (if you answered this, proceed to 18) _ Not at all (if you answered this, proceed to 19)
18. Does this new knowledge influence you to consume more Kpop contents? _ A lot _ A little _ Not at all
B. Personal Identity 19. How did Kpop influence you identity (you can answer more than 1, and you may also provide other answers) _ It provided me icons/idols to look up to _ It made me realize my own fan identity _ It has changed my habits and desires _ It didn’t influence me at all Others (please specify): ______
20. Which aspects of your life have been influenced by your Kpop consumption? _ Fashion choices _ Music choices _ Habits _ Social life _ Beliefs Others (please specify): ______
C. Social Interaction 21. Have you joined or participated in a social group/s or organization/s dedicated to Kpop music and artists? _ Yes (if you answered this, proceed to 22) _ No (if you answered this, proceed to 23) _ I plan to (if you answered this, proceed to 22) 22. Which social groups have you joined/are you planning to join? (you can answer more than 1, and you may also provide other answers) _ Fan clubs _ Online forums _ Conventions _ Fan meets/gatherings Others (please specify): ______134
APPENDIX A
Survey Questionnaire
D. Entertainment 23. What is your opinion on the quality of entertainment present in Kpop music, videos and artists? _ Very High-Quality (World-class) _ Just right (there are better quality entertainment elsewhere) _ Incompetent
24. Which aspects of Kpop appeal most to your entertainment needs? (you can answer more than 1, and you may also provide other answers) _ Melody _ Lyrics _ Artists’ Talents _ Beat _ Music Video _ Artists _ Genre _ Concept Others (please specify): ______135
APPENDIX B
Focus Interview Guide
Part I: CONSUMPTION Frequency of Consumption 1. How often do you watch/listen to Korean music, videos and artists? 2. What is your daily schedule of consuming Kpop? Strategies of Consumption 3. How do you utilize free and cable tv in consuming Kpop? 4. What is the role of the Internet in your Kpop fandom? 5. What are your other strategies for consuming Kpop contents?
Part II: CULTURAL OFFERINGS Language 6. How does the Korean language appeal to you? 7. How do you reconcile the language barrier in your appreciation of Kpop contents? Aesthetic Appeal 8. How does the physical appearance of the Korean artists affect your appreciation? 9. In Korean music videos, what is your opinion on its production quality? History 10. How can you relate with the contents of Korean music videos, especially those that are exclusively Korean in culture? Story 11. What are the themes and values present in Korean music videos and Kpop shows that attract you? 12. How do the lyrics of the Korean songs appeal to you? Are there familiar values present that appeals to you? Others 13. What is your opinion on the talents and training of the Korean artists? 136
APPENDIX B
Focus Interview Guide PART III: NEEDS Information 14. How does exposure to Korean music, videos and artists contribute to your cultural knowledge of South Korea? 15. Do you feel motivated to consume more Korean pop media contents because of the new information you gain by doing so? Why or why not? Personal Identity 16. How does your active consumption of Kpop contents influence your personal identity? How about your fan identity? 17. Have you found icons/idols among the Korean artists you follow? 18. How does the presence of your personal icons and idols, and the influence of Kpop on your personal and fan identity affect your consumption? Social Interaction 19. How does your Kpop fandom affect your relationship with your friends and families? 20. How does your Kpop fandom influence your social groups, especially among those with similar interest in Kpop? 21. Do you feel motivated to consume more Kpop contents because of its influence in your social groups and interaction? Why or why not? . Entertainment 22. What is your opinion on the quality of entertainment present in Kpop music, videos and artists? 23. Which aspects of Kpop appeal most to your entertainment needs? 24. How does the entertainment aspect of Kpop influence your tendency to consume more of its contents?
137
APPENDIX C
Song Lyrics: Bad Girl, Good Girl (miss A)
You Don’t Know Me, You Don’t Know Me. You Don’t Know Me, You Don’t Know Me.
So, Shut Up, Boy. So, Shut Up, Boy. So, Shut Up, Shut Up.
You couldn’t say a thing in front of me, but you could talk badly about me behind my back. I’m dumbfounded.
Hello, Hello, Hello. It seems like the first time, time, time you’ve seen a girl like me. Why do you judge me? Are you afraid of me, perhaps?
On the outside, I’m a Bad Girl. On the inside, I’m a Good Girl. You don’t even know me well, you only look at me from the outside. I find your gaze to be funny because you see me as a pitiful girl.
When I dance, I’m a Bad Girl. When I love, I’m a Good Girl. When you watch me dance, you become mesmerized, but are you done after you watch? I find your hypocrisy to be funny because you point at me.
These kind of clothes, this kind of hair, a girl who does these kind of dances is obvious. You’re even more obvious.
Hello, Hello, Hello. If you don’t have any confidence, go to the back, back, back. You just need to step back. Why do you keep making noise? Don’t you know that your heart can clearly be seen?
I’m looking for a man who can handle me. I’m looking for a real man, not a man who acts like one through words. Isn’t there a man who won’t make me anxious because he overflows with confidence? So that I can be me, so that I can watch him freely from afar?
138
APPENDIX D
Song Lyrics: Green Peas (SS501)
One summer, in my eyes Shine a green star, You With each other, our love blossomed Like the stars in the night sky Sparkling green star That look is lovely
And every moment that we’re together And every promise that we made Also, every hour that we’re together All of it Forever, we will hold on to
I want to become a star Wherever on this earth No matter at what time (I want to) shine for you all 24/7 from Monday to Sunday night Together with us, (you) will be happy
And as I cry and as I laugh No other than you, always at my side
And whoever can say whatever (they want) Unchanging, one and the same Our love will be together forever
Always, like sparkling stars In all the time that we are together
Will shine even more brightly forever Precious green star my love
I want to become a star Wherever on this earth No matter at what time (I want to) shine for you all 24/7 from Monday to Sunday night Together with us, (you) will be happy
(All of you) your love, thank you We swear we love you All for you 139
APPENDIX D
Song Lyrics: Get It (Shinee)
Get it, get it, get it, get it on Get it, get it, get it, get it on Get it, get it, get it, get it on Get it, get it, get it, get it The man you were waiting for, that’s me I’m ready to steal your heart If you want me, then say so, it’s now time I need you in order to make that possible
Look at me roughly, my appearance is like boom Now I’m gonna hold onto you for sure The glare I’m giving out is like toxic Everything rolls down, one by one I know what you want I can feel that even if you don’t say so I can see that I could never feel it From anyone else To the end of this night Get it, get it, get it, get it on Get it, get it, get it, get it on Get it, get it, get it, get it on Get it, get it from me, don’t stop Get it, get it Baby, the moment you see Your eyes come to know I don’t allow myself to others easily If it’s not you I don’t need any other attraction Show me yourself, embrace me Let me be your lover Don’t think about a thing and just feel it Take me who’s been thrown into the music Tonight, this time where you and I become one Don’t stare at me with those eyes Don’t worry, don’t even mind it Even in these hesitant times, the end comes near Stare at me in your perfectly normal state Say that you want me and change your chance